Petro Gazz announced on Sunday night that Japanese head coach Koji Tsuzubara has been signed to lead the Angels in the upcoming 2024 Premier Volleyball League season.
Tsuzubara, who recently coached the U-19 team of Kinh Bac Bac Ninh, the Vietnamese team that participated in the 2023 PVL Invitational Conference, will take over the coaching position from Timmy Sto. Tomas.
Sto. Tomas will be focusing on coaching Ateneo in the UAAP Season 86 Men’s Basketball Tournament.
Meanwhile, Petro Gazz director of volleyball operations will be handling University of the Philippines in the women’s tournament of the UAAP.
In a Facebook post, Petro Gazz expressed their enthusiasm for the new addition, stating, “Our new driving force and guiding light has come aboard! We are ready and excited as you steer us to new heights as our Head Coach.
“Welcome to the Angels family, Coach Koji Tsuzurabara.”
Apart from coaching Kinh Bac Bac Ninh’s youth squad, Tsuzubara has had coaching stints with Oita Miyoshi (Japan), Hamilton (New Zealand), Al-Hedayah (Saudi Arabia), and Hitachi (Japan).
His coaching experience extends to handling the national teams of Thailand (U-20 and U-21), Malaysia, Myanmar, and, most recently, Chinese Taipei.
He was the head coach of the Chinese-Taipei team that competed in the 2022 Asian Women’s Volleyball Cup, steering the squad to a fifth-place finish.
This marks the Angels’ sixth coaching change in the last two years, following Jerry Yee, Arnold Laniog, Rald Ricafort, Almadro, and Sto. Tomas, respectively.
