PARIS − In a stunning move, Team USA beach volleyball teammates Andy Benesh and Miles Partain have parted ways with coach Mike Placek in the midst of Paris Olympics.

At some point after the duo defeated Morocco 2-0 in preliminary Pool D play on Tuesday, and before their 2-1 win over Brazil on Thursday, a decision was made for Placek to step aside. Benesh and Partain defeated Brazil's George Wanderley and Andre Loyola 21-17, 14-21, 15-8 in afternoon play without Placek.

"We are very grateful for Mike Placek’s generosity, dedication, and tireless efforts leading up to the Olympics. His commitment and contributions have been unwavering. After careful consideration, we have decided it is best for us to part ways and explore different strategic paths," Benesh and Partain said in a joint statement released Saturday. "We remain deeply appreciative of what Mike has done for us and wish him continued success in all his future endeavors. We prefer to keep this decision private. We are releasing this official statement to clarify and address some misleading rumors regarding the situation. We have a great support staff and appreciate their effort and commitment during this transition."

Initial news of Placek's absence came from NBC broadcaster Dain Blanton.

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"There was a team meeting and a team decision to not move forward with their coach," Blanton said on air. "What that means is possibly (assistant coach) Paul Lotman will move into that coaching spot. We do not want to speculate on the details. We will get those answers after the match from the players themselves."

Benesh and Partain were largely mum on the subject immediately following the match against Brazil, however.

In winning two of their first three matches in preliminaries − they opened with surprising loss to Cuba − the tandem has qualified for the Round of 16. Their next match won't be scheduled until qualification play ends. Once the 16-team fields are set for both men and women, playoff competition begins in a single-elimination format over the next week until medal matches begins on Aug. 9-10.

Reach Tuscaloosa News columnist Chase Goodbread at [email protected]. Follow on X @chasegoodbread.

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