Iron Horses hire back-to-back champion volleyball coach

Philip Simmons High School seems to have found the right man to be the next boys’ volleyball coach. 

The Iron Horses hired Jorge Riesgo, who is two-for-two as a coach. 

A native of Puerto Rico, Riesgo has been a head coach for two years and has two state championships to his credit as the main man at Oceanside Collegiate Academy, a school he also graduated from during his high school days. 

Riesgo, who played at the college level at North Greenville University, is the program’s third coach since the South Carolina High School League sanctioned the sport in 2022. The team went 22-9 and won the Region 6-AA title two years ago but struggled last fall as the Iron Horses fielded an inexperienced team. 

Riesgo is ready for the challenge. 

“Philip Simmons appealed to me because of the youth the program has,” he said. “All of the kids who are showing up are sophomores, freshmen – and a couple of juniors,” he said. “Another thing that is appealing is the chance to build something great from the ground up once again. That challenge is always amazing to be a part of. 

“I believe my timeline is one to two years,” Riesgo added. “But I will always try to compete from Day 1.” 

He played volleyball for the Landsharks his senior season when it was a club sport. At North Greenville University, he shone as a setter for the Trailblazers' volleyball team. 

In 2022, he had a big role in NGU’s first Conference Carolinas championship and played in the NCAA tourney. 

In 2023, he set a Conference Carolinas record for a single-match record with 62 assists in a victory over Barton and finished the season with more than 1,000 assists. 

Now, he’s coaching the Iron Horses, a team that will play against OCA. 

“Leaving OCA was very difficult,” Riesgo said. “I’ve seen OCA grow from the early days of me being a student and OCA’s first year to then starting a club team my senior year to then graduating college, coming back to OCA, and winning back-to-back state titles. 

“That was a full-circle moment for me,” he continued. “Playing OCA will be mixed emotions, as that school means so much to me, but now being on the other side will be a very weird feeling.” 

He said success came quickly at OCA because the players worked hard and believed they could achieve anything if they worked hard. 

“When I was coaching at OCA, my initial goal was to build something great,” Riesgo said. “As time went on, and we kept working hard and the first season developed, it became clear that we had a great chance to compete for a state title. Ironically, the team we were preparing for was Philip Simmons. And after that first title I knew a second one was very possible.” 

Philip Simmons Athletic Director Dan Minkin says Riesgo has a great passion for the game. 

“He has an even greater commitment to developing young men,” Minkin said. “His ability to help student-athletes grow into outstanding gentlemen both on and off the court makes him a tremendous addition to our program.”