Gary Sato

Biography

GARY SATO—an assistant coach on three U.S. Olympic teams—Is in his 11th year (2026) as an assistant coach with the USC men’s volleyball team. Sato was an assistant with the U.S. Men’s National team from 1984 to 1988, in 1992, and from 2009 to 2012, including squads that won gold medals at the 1988 Olympics, bronze at the 1992 Games and placed fifth in 2012. He also assisted with U.S. men’s teams that won the 1986 FIVB World Championship and the 1987 Pan American Games and captured a silver medal at the 2012 FIVB World League. Sato served as the head coach for the U.S. men’s squad that won gold at the 1985 FIVB World Cup, where he was named the tourney’s Most Valuable Coach. He spent 2013 as the head coach of the Japan men’s national team. Sato also was the head coach for the U.S. Beach National silver-medalist men’s team and the women’s team at the 2007 Pan Am Games, as well as for Team Paul Mitchell in the Bud Light Pro Beach Volleyball League. He was the head coach of the U.S. Boys’ Youth National team that won silver at the 2010 NORCECA Boys’ Youth Continental Championship. In collegiate volleyball, Sato served as the head coach of Pepperdine’s women’s team for four years (1979-82) where he led the Waves into the postseason three times. His 1979 squad finished ninth in the national rankings. He also was an assistant coach with Pepperdine’s men’s teams that won NCAA championships in 1978 and 2005. Sato was the head coach for the Santa Monica Beach Volleyball Club, the techn