Cho Hye-jung, 'first female head coach in professional volleyball,' dies at 71

Cho Hye-jung, 'first female head coach in professional volleyball,' dies at 71

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Former GS Caltex head coach Cho Hye-jung, the first female head coach in the history of professional volleyball, has passed away at the age of 71.

Cho Hye-jung passed away at her home this morning (March 30) after battling pancreatic cancer.

Cho was a legendary figure in Korean volleyball, most notably at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, where she led South Korea to its first-ever Olympic medal in the sport.

Cho, who started playing volleyball in fifth grade, was first called up to the national team in 1970 as a high school senior, and competed in the 1970 Bangkok Asian Games, 메이저사이트 1972 Munich Olympics, 1974 Tehran Asian Games, and 1976 Montreal Olympics.

He played for the National Tax Administration and Midopa in Korea before moving to Italy in 1979, where he spent two years as a playing coach.

Cho was nicknamed “I'm a little bird” for her high jump and athleticism despite her small stature of 165 centimeters.

After retiring in 1981, Cho took the helm of GS Caltex in April 2010, becoming the first female head coach in the history of professional volleyball.