![Samsung Fire & Marine, which finished last in the men’s V-League this season, has hired Finnish coach Tommy Tiilikainen. [Photo=Samsung Fire & Marine]](https://image.ajunews.com/content/image/2026/03/30/20260330150521376197.jpg)
The club announced the hire on March 30, signing Tiilikainen to a two-year contract. The team said detailed terms would not be disclosed by mutual agreement.
Samsung Fire & Marine has won a men’s-record eight championship titles, but has not won since the 2014-2015 season. Its last postseason appearance was in 2017-2018.
During the season, coach Kim Sang-woo stepped down amid poor results. Under interim coach Ko Jun-yong, the team struggled, including a 13-match losing streak, the longest since the club’s founding. Samsung Fire & Marine ended the season 6-30, in last place.
In a bid to rebuild, Samsung Fire & Marine decided to hire a foreign head coach for the first time in team history. The club said it sought a leader to drive fundamental change and cited Tiilikainen’s experience, data-analysis approach suited to modern volleyball, and communication skills with young players.
Tiilikainen began his coaching career in 2012 and has worked in leagues in Europe, Japan and South Korea. While leading Korean Air, he won three straight combined titles from the 2021-2022 season through the 2023-2024 season. After parting ways with Korean Air at the end of the 2024-2025 season, he returns to the V-League after one year.
“It is a great honor to join Samsung Fire & Marine, a club with a proud tradition, and I feel a strong sense of responsibility,” Tiilikainen said. “Samsung Fire & Marine has many young players with great potential. Together, we will do our best to rebuild the club through cohesive, dynamic volleyball.”
The club said Tiilikainen will enter South Korea after completing administrative procedures and begin preparations for the new season.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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