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News Release
Koche Hired as Assistant Coach at UC Riverside
6/18/2009
 Koche was at UMBC for two seasons. |
BALTIMORE—UMBC volleyball head coach Ian Blanchard announced today that assistant coach Brianna Koche has left UMBC and been hired as assistant coach at the University of California, Riverside.
Koche, a 2006 graduate of UC-San Diego, returns to her home state and joins UC Riverside’s new head coach Ron Larsen, who previously served as the top assistant coach for the gold-medal winning USA men’s volleyball team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Larsen, who worked with Team USA for four years, made international sporting news headlines when he took over for head coach Hugh McCutcheon for three games after McCutcheon's father-in-law was killed and his mother-in-law seriously injured by an attacker while sightseeing in Beijing.
“We’re disappointed to be losing Brianna, but are elated for this special opportunity she has to move back to her home state and continue her coaching experience under a coach like Ron Larsen,” Blanchard said. “When Ron called me to ask about Brianna, I was excited for her.”
Koche served under Blanchard for two seasons, helping guide the Retrievers to an America East Tournament appearance this past season and a 20-12 record in 2007.
“Part of the legacy of this program is the players and how they grow to be better players and turn into well-rounded young professionals,” Blanchard said. “But part of the legacy is how our assistant coaches learn and train to be better young coaches and get the opportunity to move on to great openings like this one and in the past with Jen Harrison, who became the head coach at Clarion and went to the NCAA Division II Tournament.”