IBK Altos of the Korean women's professional volleyball league has appointed Masayoshi Manabe, 63, the former head coach of Japan's women's national volleyball team who led the team to an Olympic medal, as its new manager.
The IBK Altos club announced on the 21st that it had "selected Manabe, who has proven his competitiveness on the world stage, as the team's new head coach."
Manabe is a world-class master tactician who led Japanese women's volleyball to the Olympic podium for the first time in 28 years. Starting with a bronze medal at the 2010 World Championships, he captured bronze at the 2012 London Olympics after defeating Korea 3-0 in sets in the semifinals. He further demonstrated his leadership at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, guiding the team to a fifth-place finish.
Last season in women's volleyball, Heungkuk Life Insurance coach Tomoko Yoshihara earned high marks for leading her team to "Spring Volleyball" despite being outmatched in talent. With Manabe's appointment, Japanese coaches now lead two of the seven clubs in the V-League women's division.
Manabe's core philosophy is "data volleyball." He has built a systematic framework that thoroughly analyzes every match and quantifies opposing teams' attack patterns, defensive positioning and even setters' toss tendencies. He is particularly credited with bringing innovation to the volleyball world by introducing "live analytics," which involves adjusting tactics in real time during matches.
His scientific approach also stands out in designing personalized training programs by precisely measuring each player's jump height, spike angle and receive success rate. His detailed strategies, which go beyond repetitive drills, are said to maximize each player's strengths and systematically address their weaknesses. This coaching style became the driving force that enabled the Japanese national team to overcome unfavorable physical conditions with teamwork and technique to compete on the world stage.
"Manabe is a coach who reads the flow of world volleyball most accurately," an IBK Altos club official said. "We expect his data-driven tactics and coaching philosophy, which draws out each player's potential, to significantly enhance the Altos' championship competitiveness."
The club recently moved quickly to sign Miwako Osanai through the Asian Quota, laying the tactical groundwork for the new coach. As the IBK Altos accelerates efforts to strengthen its roster in pursuit of the new season's championship, the team will begin full-scale training under Manabe's direction in May.
Meanwhile, the IBK Altos added regarding acting head coach Yeo Oh-hyun, who led the team last season: "We extend our deep gratitude to acting head coach Yeo Oh-hyun and the coaching staff for the dedication and passion they have shown for the team's growth and development, and we offer our continued support for their new challenges ahead."
