The Japan Volleyball Association is considering a temporary replacement for Yuichi Nakagaichi after the recently appointed men's national team coach stepped back from the role following his involvement in a serious traffic incident last year, a source close to the matter said Wednesday.
Nakagaichi ran down and seriously injured a traffic guard on Nov. 9 while driving on the Chugoku Expressway in Hiroshima Prefecture. The incident came just a month after he was named as the new men's team coach and led to the 49-year-old being reprimanded by the JVA.
The association retained Nakagaichi as coach under the expectation that a criminal charge will be handed down within three months.
However, as no progress has been made in the case, the source said a temporary replacement may be called in if the situation remains the same ahead of the team launch on May 11.