Volleyball Canada makes big splash, landing Giovanni Guidetti to lead senior women’s team

Canada’s women’s senior national volleyball team has made a significant coaching change, landing Giovanni Guidetti as their new head coach. Volleyball Canada announced the news on Tuesday, marking the beginning of the international season with Guidetti at the helm.

Guidetti, a 52-year-old Italian-born coach, is considered one of the most successful coaches in women’s volleyball. He has a remarkable coaching career, having led clubs and national teams to great success over the last two decades. For the past 16 years, Guidetti has been the head coach of Turkish club VakıfBank, where he has established the team as a dominant force in women’s volleyball.

During his tenure at VakıfBank, Guidetti led the team to five CEV Champions League titles, five FIVB Club World Championship gold medals, and seven Turkish League championships. One of the team’s most notable achievements under his leadership was a 73-match winning streak across all official competitions, earning them a spot in the Guinness World Records. In 2013, VakıfBank made history by winning all five major championship titles in a single season.

Guidetti has also found success on the international stage, most recently guiding Serbia to a seventh-place finish at the Paris 2024 Olympics and a silver medal at the 2023 European Championship. He previously coached Turkey’s women’s national team, leading them to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and securing multiple podium finishes at the European Championships.

Before his time with VakıfBank, Guidetti served as an assistant coach for the Italian national team and went on to coach national teams for Bulgaria and Germany, where he achieved significant international success. He also led the Netherlands’ national team to a World Grand Prix bronze in 2016 and a EuroVolley silver.

Guidetti will be taking over from Shannon Winzer, who led Canada to a program-high world ranking of No. 8. Winzer will transition to the role of High Performance Director as Guidetti steps in as head coach. In a statement, Guidetti expressed his excitement about joining the Canadian team and his belief in the talent and potential of the players.

The team will kick off their international season on June 4 in Ottawa with the first week of the Volleyball Nations League. With Guidetti’s impressive track record and experience, Canada’s women’s senior national volleyball team is poised for continued success under his leadership.