Team USA beach volleyball stars fire coach on the spot at Olympics without explanation

Team USA 's beach volleyball pair Andy Benesh and Miles Partain have made the bold move of sacking their coach Mike Placek during the Paris Olympics , without giving a clear reason for the decision. The duo has bounced back from an initial loss to Cuba with wins against Morocco and Brazil, leading to speculation that the coaching change happened in the 48 hours between these matches.

They're set to face Italy's Paolo Nicolai and Samuele Cottafava next Monday in the Round of 16.

In a statement released on Saturday, Benesh and Partain expressed their gratitude towards Placek: "We are very grateful for Mike Placek's generosity, dedication, and tireless efforts leading up to the Olympics. His commitment and contributions have been unwavering."

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The statement continued: "After careful consideration, we have decided it is best for us to part ways and explore different strategic paths. We remain deeply appreciative of what Mike has done for us and wish him continued success in all his future endeavors."

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The players also stated: "We prefer to keep this decision private. We are releasing this official statement to clarify and address some misleading rumors regarding the situation. We have a great support staff and appreciate their effort and commitment during this transition."

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The future of the coaching position for Team USA's beach volleyball pair remains uncertain, with assistant Paul Lotman potentially taking over for the rest of the Olympics. There's also a chance that players Benesh and Partain might face their next match on Monday without a coach.

Despite securing two wins, the American duo was dissatisfied with their performance and opted for a coaching change. NBC commentator Dain Blanton suggested during Thursday's victory against Brazil that coach Placek had been let go, although he was unclear about the reasons.

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"There was a team meeting and a team decision to not move forward with their coach," mentioned Blanton in the NBC coverage. "What that means is possibly (assistant coach) Paul Lotman will move into that coaching spot. We do not want to speculate on the details. We will get those answers after the match from the players themselves."

The athletes refrained from discussing the coaching rumours, choosing instead to issue a statement on Saturday that was short on specifics but paid tribute to their former coach. Their upcoming rivals have recovered from an initial loss to Qatar by defeating Australia and Sweden, securing their place in the Round of 16.