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A long-time Pepperdine assistant coach has opted to leave the university for the international game.
Pepperdine announced Wednesday that assistant coach David Hunt has resigned from his position with the Waves to become an assistant coach for the Japanese Men’s National Team.
Hunt worked on the Pepperdine coaching staff for six seasons, including spending the last four seasons as an assistant coach. The Waves in the last four years with Hunt on the sidelines reached the postseason three times and most recently advanced the 2013 MPSF Tournament quarterfinals.
Hunt also spent two years as a video coordinator and volunteer assistant coach before being promoted in 2010.
“I have never worked with anyone who has worked as well or as hard as David, ever,”Pepperdine coach Marv Dunphy said in a statement released Wednesday. “We’re going to miss him a ton, but at the same time now is his time to do something unique and challenging.”
Hunt will now join the coaching staff of Gary Soto, who was hired as the Japanese Men’s National Team head coach in February. Both Soto and Hunt are the first foreign coaches to oversee a Japanese volleyball Olympic team.
This will be Hunt’s second international coaching position in the last two years. Hunt served as an assistant coach for the U.S. Boys’ National Team that won the bronze medal at the 2012 NORCECA Boys’ Youth Continental Championship.
Japan has not qualified for the Olympics since 2008, when it went winless in pool-play.