Volleyball Canada names Ben Josephson as the Men’s National Team Head Coach
November 30, 2021: Volleyball Canada’s new senior men’s indoor head coach is Ben Josephson.
Josephson, the head coach of the Trinity Western University men’s volleyball program since 2007, will start this new role on April 01, 2022.
“To me there is no greater honour and responsibility than to represent your country,” said Josephson. “We understand that with great purpose there must be great passion, and we couldn’t have a greater purpose than to build upon the legacy that (long-time head coach) Glenn Hoag and his staff has laid down the previous 10-plus years. Now the torch has been passed leading up to the Paris 2024 Olympics. We will prepare and perform with joy and passion equal to that purpose.”
Josephson, who lives with his wife, Jen, and young family in Langley, B.C., has guided TWU to five national championship titles, winning in 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017 and 2019, and has qualified for the U SPORTS championship tournament 11 times. Josephson has also led the Spartans to five Canada West championships, winning in 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2020, which includes TWU’s current run of nine straight appearances in the conference final.
Josephson holds a Bachelor of Human Kinetics degree from Trinity Western, and has three times been named both the Canada West Coach of the Year and U SPORTS Coach of the Year, in 2011-12, 2013-14 and 2019-20.
While serving as head coach at TWU, Josephson has developed approximately 30 athletes that have represented Canada on the international stage. He has been involved with Team Canada at all levels of the current development model and had served as the lead assistant coach for the Canadian Women’s National Team in 2019.
This year, his TWU team represented Canada at the NORCECA Men’s Pan Am Cup winning a silver medal.
Josephson takes over from Canadian Olympian Glenn Hoag, who previously announced he would coach the team until Tokyo 2020. Hoag remains the head coach of Arkas İzmir, a professional club in Turkey.
“I believe it is important to take pause as we embark on this new era of Team Canada men’s volleyball to honour those that have made this program something we are all proud of. Glenn’s contribution to volleyball in Canada cannot be overstated. His commitment to excellence and getting this program to back-to-back Olympic Games is inspiring,” said Josephson.
“I’d like to thank Volleyball Canada for entrusting me with the massive responsibility of leading Team Canada men’s volleyball. I’d also like to thank Trinity Western University for giving me my first coaching job and allowing me to pursue this dream of leading Team Canada.”
The men’s team, currently ranked 12th in the world, has qualified for the last two Olympic Games (finishing fifth and eighth respectively) and will look toward qualification for Paris 2024.
“I’m excited to have Ben at the helm our senior men’s team” said Julien Boucher, Volleyball Canada’s high performance director (indoor). “He brings with him the winning tradition he instilled at Trinity Western University. He is also very familiar with a lot of our current athletes. We feel he will move our whole program forward and bring us success in the next quadrennial and beyond.”
The men’s team is based in Gatineau, Quebec.
Volleyball Canada media contact:
Jackie Skender
Mobile: 613.794.7676
Photo: NORCECA