COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – San Diego Mojo head coach Tayyiba Haneef-Park has been named to the U.S. Women’s National Team coaching staff, USA Volleyball and head coach Erik Sullivan announced on Wednesday, as the team prepares for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. Haneef-Park will continue leading the Mojo while serving as an assistant with Team USA.
“I fell in love with the Olympics in the Los Angeles 1984 games,” Haneef-Park said. “One of the greatest honors of my life has been to represent USA on that stage. I am deeply humbled and excited to work with Erik in this full circle moment and be a part of a podium push with this incredible staff and team for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.”
A three-time Olympian and two-time silver medalist (Beijing 2008, London 2012), Haneef-Park brings first-hand Olympic experience and a winning mentality to her new role. The 2024 Pro Volleyball Federation Coach of the Year, she guided San Diego to the PVF Championship semifinals during the league’s inaugural season.
Haneef-Park was among a three assistant coaches Sullivan named to the staff, joining former U.S. Men’s National Team assistant coach Mike Wall and UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame inductee and two-time NCAA national champion as a setter Brandon Taliaferro.
“This is an exciting time for USA Volleyball as we continue building toward the LA 2028 Olympics,” said Erik Sullivan, head coach of the U.S. Women’s National Team. “Tayyiba, Mike and Brandon bring a wealth of knowledge, experience and passion for the game that will help elevate our program and prepare our athletes for success on the world stage.”
Prior to joining the Mojo, Haneef-Park held assistant coaching roles at Oregon and the Arizona, as well as extensive experience with USA Volleyball’s National Team Development Program. Last year, she was an assistant coach with the U.S. Women’s National Team that won silver at the NORCECA Pan Am Cup and NORCECA Final 6. In 2019, she led the U.S. Women to gold at the NORCECA Champions Cup. She was also an assistant coach with the U.S. Women’s Collegiate Team from 2021-23.
In addition to her 12-year playing career with the U.S. Women’s National Team, Haneef-Park spent 12 years playing professionally overseas.
Collegiately, Haneef-Park was an All-American as an outside hitter at Long Beach State, leading the 49ers to the 2001 title match. She was also a three-time All-American high jumper for Beach and competed at the 2000 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials, finishing 10th with a jump of 5-10 ¾.
ABOUT SAN DIEGO MOJO
San Diego Mojo are a women’s professional volleyball team in San Diego, Calif. and is a founding member of Pro Volleyball Federation, the premier women’s professional volleyball league in North America. The Mojo are led by 2024 PVF Coach of the Year and three-time Olympian Tayyiba Haneef-Park and play their home matches at Viejas Arena on the campus of San Diego State University. The team is owned by longtime San Diegan and UC San Diego alum Gary E. Jacobs, a co-founder and Chairman of the Board of the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High Charter School and managing director of Jacobs Investment Company (JIC).
ABOUT USA VOLLEYBALL
Founded in 1928, USA Volleyball is a nonprofit organization recognized by the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) and World ParaVolley as the National Governing Body for the sport of volleyball including the disciplines of beach, indoor, sitting, snow and beach ParaVolley in the United States. With more than 425,000 registered members, USA Volleyball conducts national championship events, coaching and officials certification programs, and grassroots development across all disciplines in a lifetime sport in which all can participate. USA Volleyball’s teams have won an Olympic medal in every Olympic Games since 1984, five Paralympic medals since 2004 and numerous World Cup, World Championship and Continental Championship titles. USA Volleyball’s women’s teams are the reigning gold medalists in the Olympic indoor, beach and Paralympic events. The United States is the first country to have won a gold medal in each discipline at a single Summer Games. For more information on USA Volleyball, visit www.usavolleyball.org. #PathtothePodium
ABOUT PRO VOLLEYBALL FEDERATION
Pro Volleyball Federation is the leading professional volleyball league in the United States. PVF sets the standard for the sport, offering the largest number of franchises, unmatched attendance, extensive broadcast coverage and substantial championship prize money. It combines top-tier talent, including NCAA stars and international athletes, with cutting-edge production and technology to provide fans with an unmatched viewing experience. As a vital link between collegiate volleyball and the professional stage, PVF is dedicated to shaping the future of the sport and increasing visibility for its athletes. For more information, visit ProVolleyball.com.
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