League One Volleyball today announced that Marco Bonitta, current coach of the Slovenian National team, and Paulo Coco, second coach of the Brazilian National team, will be joining LOVB Pro as head coaches. With a combined over 50 years of coaching experience, Bonitta and Coco will help LOVB Pro players compete at the highest levels, with their individual team assignments to be announced soon.
“An all-new league deserves a group of coaches that comes with professional experiences at the highest levels, and Marco and Paulo fit this exact bill,” said Tom Hogan, director of sport for LOVB Pro. “While on an international stage, they have led their teams to the pinnacle of our sport, and they both bring the ideal mix of discipline, work ethic and motivational leadership to help our pro players develop and achieve new heights for the sport.”
As an international volleyball coach, Marco brings 34 years of experience to his position at LOVB Pro. He is the current coach of the Slovenian National team. He made history when he became the first coach of the Italian National team to lead their women’s team to a World Championship title. Prior to joining as the head coach of the Slovenian National team in 2022, he was head coach of Olstyn (Poland Men 1 Liga - 2021-2022), head coach of Ravenna (Italian volley Men Super League - 2019-2021) and head coach of the Poland Women's National volleyball team (2006-2008.)
Throughout his career, Bonitta has also led his teams to achieve top honors and medals, including gold at the 2018 Men Challenge Cup (Atene-General Director), gold at the 2012 Men Euro Junior Championship (Gdansk, Poland) and gold at the 2002 World Championship Women (Berlin, Ger.)
As both a national team and professional club coach, Paulo has realized success again and again throughout his career. Leading the Brazilian National team as their second coach – a position he has held since 2003 – his teams have won silver at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, have been named Champion of Grand Prix five years in a row (2004-2009), have secured Second place in the world championships (2006, 2010, 2022) and won gold at the Pan American Games in 2011.
As a club coach, Coco has also led his teams to greatness. Currently, the coach of Brazilian Superliga, his team was named South American Champion in 2022-2023. In 2024, his team was named Brazilian Cup Champion, and received the coveted Supercopa Champion in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021.
“It is a great honor to be part of the LOVB team,” said Coco. “Not only am I very motivated to be able to help LOVB reimagine the future of volleyball and become one of the most important leagues in the world, but the opportunity to be able to bring lessons from Brazil and help these incredible athletes evolve, is an experience I will cherish. I can’t wait to work together and learn throughout the process.”
With volleyball being the fastest growing team sport in the United States, LOVB is setting out to make volleyball the next American major sports league. Based upon a level of play that is only possible when elite players come together with world class coaches, LOVB’s inaugural pre-season will kick off November 2024, followed by its main season which will start in January 2025. The season, which will feature LOVB Pro teams in Austin, Atlanta, Houston, Madison (WI), Omaha, and Salt Lake, will conclude with the LOVB Pro Finals in April 2025.
