American beach volleyball players Andy Benesh and Miles Partain made an unusual move two games into their Olympic run. The pair announced Saturday that they fired their coach, Mike Placek, between matches.
Benesh and Partain opened the Paris Games with a loss to Cuba and a close-cut victory against Morocco. When they faced a Brazilian duo on Thursday, Placek was notably absent.
“After careful consideration, we have decided it is best for us to part ways and explore different strategic paths,” Benesh and Partain said in a joint statement clarifying Placek’s absence on Saturday. “We remain deeply appreciative of what Mike has done for us and wish him continued success in all his future endeavors.”
NBC’s Dain Blanton was the first to notice Placek’s absence.
“In all the years we’ve been covering the Olympic beach volleyball event, I don’t know if there’s ever been a coaching change within the competition itself,” NBC commentator Kevin Wong said. “That’d be a first.”
Despite the unusual nature of the decision, Benesh and Partain have declined to provide any reasoning behind the move.
“We prefer to keep this decision private,” the pair said in a statement.
Benesh and Partain return to action Monday for a round of 16 matchup against Italy’s Samuele Cottafava and Paolo Nicolai.
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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