Former Suntory Sunbirds head coach Masashi Ogino, 53, will take the helm of the OK Financial Group All-Men Professional Volleyball Team.
Men’s professional volleyball team OK Financial Group announced on the 29th that it has appointed Ogino as its next head coach. Ogino is the third head coach in the club’s history, following Kim Se-jin and Seok Jin-wook, and the first foreign coach of the OK Financial Group Volleyball Team.
“As we celebrated our 10th anniversary this year, we reviewed the selection of a foreign head coach from various aspects, with the meaning of returning to our roots and challenging ourselves again,” the club said. “After conducting several interviews with leading figures, we decided to appoint Coach Ogino, who has a strong understanding of Korean volleyball and is strong in basic volleyball, as the right person.”
According to the club, OK Financial Group selected the candidates with a foreign coach in mind from the beginning. A wide range of candidates from Brazil, France, Russia, Italy, and Japan were considered, and written interviews were conducted in advance.
Ogino is a Japanese volleyball legend who played as a defensive outside hitter from 1988 to 2010. She competed in two Olympic Games (1992, 2008) and three World Championships (1990, 1998, 2006). After her playing career ended in 2010, she began her coaching career with the Sunbirds and led the team until 2012. He then took over as Suntory head coach again in 2017 and led the team until 2019.
Ogino also has a strong connection to Korean volleyball. Ogino played for the Japanese national team when Korea and Japan were rivals in men’s volleyball. He has a strong understanding of the Korean style of play and performance. He continues to interact with the Korean national team players he played against during his playing days.
“I’m excited to take on a new challenge with OK Financial Group Volleyball,” said Ogino, “and I will do my best to help OK Financial Group Volleyball win the championship again.”안전놀이터
“I have a good understanding of Korean volleyball and am familiar with the game,” he said, adding, “I think free communication is the most important aspect of running a team. We will strengthen our defense, which is the pillar of the team, and build a system that utilizes all attack channels.”
Ogino arrived in Korea on the 15th and greeted the players after finalizing the contract. After returning to Japan on the 17th, Ogino will complete the necessary procedures such as obtaining a visa and will arrive in Korea at the end of May to lead the team in earnest.