Joel Banks stays with the Netherlands: the Oranje continue their long-term rebuild

The Dutch Volleyball Federation (Nevobo) has reached an agreement with Joel Banks to extend the English coach’s contract for another two years, keeping him at the helm of the Netherlands men’s national team as the Oranje continue their ambitious rebuilding project.
Banks is currently in his second season in charge of the Dutch national team, and the new agreement comes at an important moment.
The Netherlands are preparing to compete at the CEV EuroVolley 2026 in Finland, where they will face co-hosts Finland, Serbia, Belgium, Denmark and Estonia in Pool C.
The top four teams will advance to the knockout stage.

The decision to extend his contract is closely linked to the federation’s desire to build something that goes beyond immediate results. Technical director Jeroen Rauwerdink said Nevobo is very satisfied with the direction of the project and with the work being done to develop a new generation of Dutch players.
That progress was particularly evident during the 2026 CEV Volleyball European League.
The Netherlands produced a remarkable League Round, winning all six of their matches without dropping a single set. They then defeated Israel in both legs of their semifinal to reach the final, extending their unbeaten run to eight matches and conceding only two sets along the way.
The final ultimately proved to be a step too far.
The Netherlands faced Finland, another team undergoing an impressive rise, and lost both matches 3–1. Finland won the title after completing a perfect ten-match campaign, while the Dutch finished runners-up. The result nevertheless represented one of the strongest European League campaigns in recent Dutch volleyball history.

The final also carried an additional prize: a place in the 2027 Volleyball Nations League. Finland secured that opportunity, while the Netherlands narrowly missed out. For Banks and his players, however, the European League campaign demonstrated that the gap to the continent’s stronger teams is becoming increasingly manageable.

“The Netherlands have embarked on a new path with Joel, and we are building a new generation,” Rauwerdink explained, stressing that the objective is not simply to return to the Volleyball Nations League as quickly as possible, but also to establish solid foundations for the years ahead — with the 2032 horizon already in the federation’s plans.

Joel Banks himself has embraced that long-term perspective.

“When I started, it was clear what was expected,” the English coach explained. “We are going through a generational change and building something. That meant taking a step back and looking forward.”

The coach also underlined the importance of integrating the national youth programme into the project, with the aim of creating a clearer pathway for young players towards the senior team. The players themselves, he added, are investing heavily in the process, although meaningful development inevitably takes time.

The immediate challenge will be the European Championship.
The Netherlands will open their Pool C campaign against Belgium on September 11, before facing Denmark, Serbia, Finland and Estonia over the following days. Playing in Tampere means that the Dutch will have to deal with the home crowd behind one of the tournament’s most improved teams — the same Finland that defeated them in July to claim the European League title.
That makes the European Championship particularly intriguing for Banks. The Netherlands and Finland will meet again on September 15, just over two months after their European League final. Serbia, meanwhile, represents another demanding opponent, while Belgium, Denmark and Estonia will all have ambitions of reaching the knockout phase.
The Netherlands therefore arrive at EuroVolley with something more valuable than a simple short-term target. They have a young team, a clear direction and a coach who has now been given the time to complete the project.
The Oranje may not yet have returned to the Volleyball Nations League, but after an unbeaten League Round, a European League silver medal and a new two-year commitment to Banks, the Netherlands are beginning to look like a team moving steadily back towards the upper level of European volleyball.

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