GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Rise on Wednesday announced the hiring of Denis Dimitrov (dih-mih-TROHV) as an assistant coach for the Pro Volleyball Federation franchise.
Dimitrov recently served as an assistant coach for the Bulgarian National Team, a position he has held since the 2019-20 campaign. The 31-year-old has also been an assistant coach in Europe for three seasons with CSM Targoviste in Romania (2018-19), PPT Spor in Turkey (2021-22) and Levallois Paris Saint Cloud in France (2022-23). During the 2022-23 campaign, Dimitrov aided Levallois Paris Saint Cloud to a third-place finish in the French Ligue A. In 2018-19, he claimed a bronze medal in the Romanian League with CSM Targoviste in addition to earning a silver medal at the Romanian Cup. The Bulgarian native won a gold medal for his home country as an assistant coach at the 2021 European Golden League.
“Denislav has had a great deal of experience in both playing and coaching professionally overseas. He is a wonderful teacher, has a strong technical background, and is an experienced tactician, and we are excited to add his unique knowledge to our staff,” Rise head coach Cathy George said. “In addition, because Denis has a great understanding of professional volleyball overseas, he will help us navigate the growth of professional volleyball here in the United States.”
Dimitrov played in seven seasons as a professional in Europe from 2011-18. He competed in Bulgaria and France before finishing his career with Tofas in Turkey. Dimitrov received his bachelor’s degree in physical education and volleyball coaching at Vasil Levski, a national sports academy in Bulgaria.
The Rise will begin their inaugural season in January. Fans can reserve their season tickets now by clicking here, with single-game tickets to go on sale later this fall.
ABOUT THE GRAND RAPIDS RISE
Founded in December 2022 as the first Pro Volleyball Federation franchise and Grand Rapids’ first major-league women’s sports team, the Grand Rapids Rise will make their debut at Van Andel Arena in January 2024. Led by longtime Michigan State and Western Michigan head coach Cathy George, the Rise’s 14-player roster will play 24 games (12 home, 12 away) during their inaugural season. The team is operated by DP Fox Sports & Entertainment and owned by Dan DeVos, who is also co-owner and CEO of the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins. Visit grrise.com.