Volleyball Canada Announces New Men’s Head Coach
Decorated former player and Olympic medal-winning coach will lead Canada’s men’s volleyball team.
November 03, 2022: Volleyball Canada is pleased to announce Tuomas Sammelvuo as its head coach for the Men’s Indoor Program.
Sammelvuo is a former player, both professionally and for his native Finland, and is the current head coach of the PlusLiga team, Grupa Azoty ZAKSA, based in Poland. He was previously the head coach of the Finnish national team, as well as the Russian Federation team, winning 2019 Volleyball Nations League gold and a silver at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Sammelvuo said: “I have seen the Canadian team develop over the years both as a player and now as a coach, and have much respect for the work the coaches and athletes have done with the program to date. I’m looking forward to this challenge and bringing my experience to the team and collaborating with the coaches in the development system to ensure the future success of the program.”
Sammelvuo played for top teams in Europe and Asia during his long career as an athlete. He played for Team Finland from 1993 to 2010 and was appointed captain of the team in 1997.
Among his many accolades as a coach, he was named sport Coach of the Year in his home country in 2014 and 2021.
“We are excited to have Tuomas join our program,” said Julien Boucher, High Performance Director (indoor). “His international record is impressive, and he is eager to work with our players and development coaches as we work toward qualification for Paris 2024 and beyond.”
Volleyball Canada’s men’s team finished eighth at the Tokyo 2020 Games and is currently ranked 15th in the world. Looking ahead, Canada will be participating in Volleyball Nations League in 2023, which begins June 06, 2023 (host cities to be announced).
Volleyball Canada Media Contact:
Jackie Skender
jskender@volleyball.ca
Mobile: 613-794-7676