Aug. 7, 2017
THE FLATS — Georgia Tech volleyball adds world-renowned and two-time Olympic gold medalist coach with 30-plus years of coaching experience, Claudio Pinheiro, as an assistant coach at Georgia Tech.
“We’re just very excited to have to have somebody of Claudio’s caliber here,” said Georgia Tech volleyball’s head coach Michelle Collier. “It’s definitely a testament to the commitment of this administration to volleyball and to our vision of becoming one of the best teams in the country.
“Having the opportunity to work with somebody like Claudio, to be able to bring him here, and our players to able to have the opportunity to work with somebody who’s been around the best players in the world and has done so much for the sport of volleyball. It’s just a very unique opportunity that we’re grateful for.”
Pinheiro, a native of Rio de Janeiro, coached with the Brazil Women’s National Team since 2005 and served as the head coach for the U23 Brazil Women’s National Team from 2011-14. In addition to coaching at the top level in Brazil, he has also coached at the professional level in Turkey, Puerto Rico, and Spain.
With the Brazilian National Team, he claimed gold medals at the 2012 London and 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
Pinheiro aided the Georgia Tech volleyball staff during the 2016 season as a consultant. The Jackets saw their best season since 2004, recording the best overall (.750) and ACC (.750) winning percentages in 12 years.
“First of all, I am very happy to be here,” said Pinheiro. “I’ve worked in high-level volleyball for many years and when I was here as a consultant, I was able to see what you can do with the structure of a university environment. All the support and structure that is at Georgia Tech, any team in the world would be lucky to have it.”
Pinheiro’s impressive career spans decades and several countries with countless accolades. Those most notable include:
- Fifth place finish at the 2016 Women’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro
- Champion of the 2012 Women’s Olympic Games in London
- Champion of the 2008 Women’s Olympic Games in Beijing
- Champion in the 2011 Women’s Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico
- Runner-up in the 2007 and 2015 Women’s Pan American Games in Brazil and Toronto, respectively
- Champion of the 2006, 2009 and 2011 Pan-American Cup of Volleyball
- Eight-time champion and three-time runner-up of the World Grand Prix; Champion (2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2016), Runner-up (2010, 2011, 2012), third-place (2015)
- Six-time consecutive South American Champion (2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015)
- Two-time champion of the World Grand Champions Cup in Japan
- Runner-up in the 2006 and 2010 Women’s Volleyball World Championships in Japan; third-place in the 2014 Women’s Volleyball World Championships in Japan
- Four-time champions of the Montreux Volleyball Masters (2005, 2006, 2009, 2013)
The Jackets open the 2017 season at O’Keefe Gymnasium on Aug. 25 when they take on Auburn at 6 p.m. Fans can purchase season tickets here.
For the latest information on the Georgia Tech volleyball team, follow us on Twitter (@GTVolleyball), Instagram (GTVolleyball), Facebook (Georgia Tech Volleyball) or visit us at www.ramblinwreck.com.
