LOS ANGELES – As of July 16, three LMU coaches have been selected to coach their respective nations in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics. Head women's tennis coach Agustin Moreno has been named the head coach of Mexico's women's tennis team, head softball coach Tairia Flowers will work as an assistant coach with Team USA Softball, and newly added assistant women's volleyball coach Brian Thornton will continue as an assistant coach for the men's indoor volleyball team.
 
Moreno represented Mexico in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Korea, and has been a fixture with the Mexican women's national team as a coach for years. For five years he served as the head coach of the Mexican Women's Federation Cup Team (1999-2003) and during that time he also mentored Mexico's Women's Continental Cup Team (2001), an 18-and-under squad, and Women's Pan-American Team (2004). Moreno has coached at LMU since the 2015-16 season. Women's tennis will compete in Tokyo from July 24 to August 1.
 
Coming off her first season at LMU, former two-time Olympic medalist Tairia Flowers returns to the Olympic games, along with the sport of softball, for the first time since 2008. Flowers played for the U.S. national softball team from 2001-08. In addition to winning gold at the Athens Olympic Games, the team won silver in Beijing in 2008 and a pair of gold medals at the 2002 and 2006 world championships. Following her playing career, Flowers began working with the national team as an assistant coach in 2011. Softball will be played July 21-July 27 in Tokyo.
 
Newly announced LMU women's volleyball assistant coach Brian Thornton will begin his tenure at LMU following his time working with the USA Men's National Team in the same role. As a player, Thornton began a lengthy career with the U.S. Men's National Team, culminating in a trip to the 2012 Olympic Games as the backup setter. Thornton joined the U.S. Men's National Team as a coach in 2017. Men's volleyball will be played at the Olympics this year from July 24 to August 7.
 
In addition to these three coaches, LMU will be represented by a pair of women's water polo players for the first time in program history. Claire Wright (LMU '18) and Yanah Gerber (LMU '25) will head to Japan this summer to live their Olympic dreams. Wright will start as goalie for Team Canada. Yanah Gerber will play as part of Team South Africa as a center forward. Women's water polo will be played from July 24 through August 7 at Tokyo Tatsumi International Swimming Center.
 

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