BAKERSFIELD, Calif.—CSU Bakersfield director of volleyball Giovana Melo has announced that Cesar Benatti will become the Roadrunners head beach volleyball coach beginning with the 2017 season.
“We are thrilled to have Cesar take over as the new head beach volleyball coach,” Melo said. “He has always been very dedicated to our volleyball program as an assistant and now I am so excited to watch him run the beach program. Cesar has learned a lot from Olivia Simko over the past couple of years and he has a lot to offer. He is very deserving of this opportunity and I am can't wait to see what he does with the team.”
Benatti has served as an assistant with the CSUB beach program for the past two seasons. He will also continue to serve as an assistant coach for the Roadrunner indoor program. Benatti replaces Simko who stepped down after serving as the Roadrunner head beach coach for three seasons.
“I am very humbled and honored to have been chosen by Giovana to be the new head beach volleyball coach,” Benatti said. “For me, it is a big win in my career. I have been following Giovana's methods and helping her on the process of putting philosophies in the indoor program, and we want to have the same for the beach program. Olivia is also a very important part of this success because I learned a lot from her. She was a great teacher and inspiration. The fact that most of our indoor players play beach, makes the process easier and smother to transition from one to another. I am super excited for this new challenge and can't wait to start a new season.”
Benatti played professional volleyball in Brazil until 2000, when he started as an assistant coach in Esporte Clube Pinheiros. In Pinheiros, Benatti was a two-time state champion and a two-time Metropolitan area champion. From 2002-2009, Benatti was the conditioning and assistant coach at Club Athlético Paulistano. In his time with Athlético Paulistano, Benatti's 17 and under team was Metropolitan champions in 2006 and state champions in 2007.
Benatti also worked as head coach at three universities in Brazil; FMU from 2002-06, University Mackenzie from 2006-09, where he won two state championships, and Casper Líbero from 2012-14, winning several local tournaments.
From 2009-11, Benatti worked with Melo at Western Nebraska Community College. Benatti was part of the Western Nebraska staff that led the program to three Region IX Championships and 2010 NJCAA Division I National Championship.
Benatti returned to Brazil in 2012, becoming the head coach at one of the main volleyball programs in the State of São Paulo, Ibirapuera, which holds more than 80 Volleyball athletes training and competing for the club, in four ages/gender categories.
~www.GoRunners.com~
