Japan confirm Laurent Tillie as Head Coach despite 2025 World Championship elimination

Despite a disappointing early exit from the 2025 FIVB Men’s World Championship, Japan Volleyball Association has confirmed that Laurent Tillie will continue as head coach of men’s national team.

At an online press conference held in Tokyo yesterday, September 19, High-Performance Group senior director Shoji Nanbu reviewed the team’s season, noting that Japan reached the quarterfinals of the Volleyball Nations League (VNL), where they faced world No.1 Poland, but fell short of the podium.
In the world championship, however, Japan suffered a heavy straight-set defeats against Turkey and Canada before returning home, later securing a victory against modest Libya to close their campaign.

Tillie literally described 2025 as a year of transformation and, with roster changes and a new system introduced, he also explained that “his” Japan was still adjusting after the Olympic cycle.
“This was a season of learning,” he said. “The VNL showed positive signs, even though the world championship results were disappointing. The defeats hurt, but they provide important lessons for the future.”

Looking ahead, French expert confirmed that Japan will keep its dual-team structure (A and B squads), while refining its long-term development strategy, and the main objective is steady progress toward the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

“Although this was a painful experience, we will treat it as an opportunity to improve,” he concluded.

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