SAN DIEGO — San Diego beach volleyball head coach
Derek Olson announced on Friday the addition of
Mike Placek and
Jaden Whitmarsh to the Toreros' coaching staff. Placek and Whitmarsh join the program as assistant coaches.
Placek brings more than a decade and a half of coaching and athlete-development experience to San Diego's staff, including work with Olympic-level teams and extensive talent production with WAVE Volleyball Club. A graduate of nearby Torrey Pines High School, he excelled in both volleyball and tennis, earning an A Rating on the beach at age 13 and a national championship in the 16U division at 14. He later earned a tennis scholarship to UC Santa Barbara, where he was a three-time All-Big West selection and a Big West All-Academic honoree.
"I've known Mike for almost 20 years and he actually gave me my first coaching role at COAST Volleyball Club," Olson said. "I've competed, trained, and coached with Mike and I know firsthand how great of a coach he is. He's thoughtful, and puts in a lot of work to not only be great himself, but to also set his athletes up for success. He has coached in the Olympics and continues to coach teams positioned for the LA Games. He takes a very professional approach, knows the game inside and out, and has deep ties to this community. I couldn't be more excited to welcome him to the USD family."
Following college, Placek began his professional beach volleyball career, finishing as high as third on the AVP and USA Volleyball tours in 2008 and 2012. From 2010 to 2011, he represented the Czech Republic in international competition, earning main-draw finishes on the FIVB World Tour and winning an exhibition event in Lille, France. In addition to his coaching background, he is certified in the Egoscue Method for postural alignment and injury prevention and has directed clinics and personal training programs for athletes across youth, collegiate, and professional levels. He resides in Encinitas with his wife, Stephanie, their daughter, Elle, son, Luke, and their family dog, Oppo.
Whitmarsh arrives at Alcala Park following an exceptional collegiate career at UCLA and current competition on both the AVP and FIVB professional tours. A San Diego native and former standout at WAVE, she earned NCAA All-Tournament Team honors twice (2021 and 2023), appeared on the Pac-12 Championship All-Tournament Team multiple times, and was named Pac-12 Pair of the Week during her time with the Bruins. She completed a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology, a Master's Degree in Transformative Coaching & Leadership, and a Certificate Extension Program in Marketing from UCLA.
"I'm thrilled to welcome Jaden to our coaching staff," said Olson. "She is born and raised in San Diego and embodies the characteristics that I would want our student-athletes to have. I've known of her since her days as a junior athlete at WAVE and have always admired her approach to the game. She has put in a lot of hard work, and it has taken her really far in this sport. She has won a national championship in college beach volleyball and currently plays professionally both domestically and internationally. She is a recent graduate with a master's degree in coaching and has deep ties to this community. I am so lucky and blessed to be able to call her a colleague."
Athletic excellence runs in Whitmarsh's family. Her late father, Mike, played basketball at the University of San Diego before becoming one of the world's top beach volleyball athletes, earning a silver medal at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. Her stepfather, Mark Sweeney, played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball, and her mother, Cindy, is a renowned fitness and nutrition expert.
San Diego beach volleyball will begin its inaugural season in the spring of 2027.
