Wendel Camargo Rounds Out Texas A&M Staff

Less than three weeks after being named head coach at Texas A&M, Laura “Bird” Kuhn has completed her coaching staff. After adding Kolby O’Donnell as associate head coach last week, Kuhn announced the addition of Wendel Camargo as her second assistant coach on Thursday.

Camargo comes to College Station after spending the last four years as an assistant coach at James Madison.

“Wendel is a hidden gem,” Kuhn said in the hiring announcement. “He is so knowledgeable in the game of volleyball, from his background training the Dominican Republic National Team and his experiences with the Brazilian leagues. His IQ of volleyball and the way he sees the game is so unique compared to other people just because of his background and the level he has played and trained. His ability to challenge while still connecting with players is going to be huge for us in the gym. I am already seeing and feeling the balance of Kolby and Wendel. The combination of our staff’s personalities and experience is so exciting as we begin to work with this young group of Aggies!”

At JMU, Camargo led the Dukes to two CAA regular season, two CAA tournament titles and two NCAA Tournament berths. The team went 83-38 in his four seasons, including three straight 20-win campaigns.

In 2014, the Dukes went 17-14 after two losing campaigns and advanced to the CAA Tournament semifinals. In 2015, JMU won a share of the CAA regular season title and went 22-8, marking its highest win total since 1999. In 2016, James Madison took both the CAA regular season and tournament crowns and earned its first NCAA berth since 2000.

In 2017, the Dukes won the CAA Tournament and earned its second straight NCAA appearance in a 23-9 campaign.

Camargo began his collegiate coaching career as a volunteer assistant at Kansas in 2012 and 2013, working under Kuhn, who was then an assistant coach with the Jayhawks. KU made back to back NCAA appearances, advancing to the Sweet 16 in 2013.

Camargo was a member of the national team coaching staff in the Dominican Republic from 2009 to 2012 and also coached in Brazil, acting as as the head coach at the University of Sao Paulo in 2009.

A 2008 graduate of University Paulista in Sao Paulo , Brazil, Carmargo played professionally for COTP, Rio Branco Americana in Brazil after his collegiate career.

“It is an incredible honor to have the opportunity to coach and develop players at a university with such rich tradition and significant resources like Texas A&M,” Camargo said. “Even more exciting for me is the chance to work for Laura “Bird” Kuhn, and together with Kolby O’Donnell to build a special program that players want to be a part of as they find opportunities to succeed on the court and in the classroom. My wife and I are extremely excited to join the Texas A&M family.”