Former Kepler VC head coach Fidèle Nyirimana has said he is taking a break from coaching to focus on improving his career skills. Nyirimana made history as the first Rwandan coach to lead a team to a silver medal at the Men’s African Volleyball Club Championship in 2022 with Gisagara VC. He later joined Kepler and help the club reach the finals of the national volleyball league on club’s debut season. It was a commendable season which prompted the university club to extend his contract hoping to achieve trophies with him. He was, however, sacked mid-season based on what the club described as underperformance. Nyirimana has since dedicated his time in professional coaching courses and he had now decided to put full focus on it. “I’m taking a break from coaching to upgrade my skills mainly focusing on analyzing match statistics and other key aspects in line with how the game of volleyball is evolving,” Nyirimana told Times Sport. Nyirimana is known for his disciplined and demanding coaching approach which was key to guide Kepler VC the finals of the league before losing the championship to APR VC. ALSO READ: Where did Kepler VC fall short in the playoffs? “Coaching Kepler VC was enjoyable for me, it felt like family. Together, we went through ups and downs, and eventually, the time came for me to move on. But overall, it was a positive experience,” he said. “In our first season, we pushed ourselves hard to reach our goals. But from my observation, we overworked our bodies, which affected our performance in the following season. Perhaps my coaching philosophy didn’t fully align with the club’s vision.” Throughout his career, Nyirimana has coached several teams, including Groupe Scolaire Officielle de Butare (Indatwa), Gisagara VC, Kirehe VC, University of Tourism, Technology and Business Studies (UTB), National University of Rwanda (NUR), and Rayon Sports VC. As a veteran libero turned coach, he has won numerous trophies, including the National League title, Carré d’As, Genocide Memorial Tournament, Kayumba Memorial Tournament,Liberation Cup, Rutsindura Memorial Tournament, KAVC Memorial Tournament, and Gisaka Open Tournament.
