Adia Barnes and her husband, Salvo Coppa, are key members of the University of Arizona basketball team as coaches. Adia Barnes is the head coach of their women’s basketball team, while Salvo Coppa is the assistant coach. Adia Barnes, head coach of the University of Arizona women’s basketball team, has held the position since 2016. She is also a former WNBA player who worked as an analyst and commentator for basketball games.
Who is Salvo Coppa, husband of Adie Barnes?
Salvo Coppa, born March 4, 1979, is an assistant coach to his wife Adia at the University of Arizona. As a head coach, his wife’s leadership and his job as an assistant coach create a distinct and distinctive dynamic, creating a bond on and off the field. Coppa has an extensive coaching history that includes coaching in the Italian First Division (A1), national teams in Europe and Asia, and NCAA Division I college basketball.
Along with an outstanding track record, he won three gold medals on three different teams. Coppa was the assistant head coach of Trogylos Priola in Italian Division 1 for seven seasons when he mentored WNBA All-Star Tara Phillips. The 45-year-old also coached Michelle Greco, Kristine Haynie and Florina Pascala, all of whom played in the WNBA. Prior to coaching in the United States, he was the head coach of the Thailand women’s national team. Under his leadership, the team won the gold medal at the 2011 Southeast Asian Games. As a result, they won their first gold medal in 16 years.
This achievement shows his great coaching career and performance on the world stage. He is the first member of his wife Adia’s coaching staff, and the two of them are the heart and soul of basketball in Arizona. Coppa holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in public relations from IULM University in Milan, Italy. He is also a licensed FIBA coach and speaks four languages: Italian, English, Spanish and French.
Balancing training and their personal life
The coaching couple have created a close family unit with their two children, Matteo and Capri. They are responsible parents who have made personal sacrifices for their children’s progress. In a 2021 interview, the couple talked about how difficult it was to balance basketball with parenthood. They admit, like everyone else, that they are not perfect parents. Coppa, on the other hand, said that they try to spend as much time as possible with their children, especially during the hectic basketball season.
Similarly, Adia talked about the sacrifice of having children and how family always comes first.
“We care about children and make great sacrifices for them. We have no social life. We don’t care about that. We make the most of our free time by spending it together. Sometimes it’s hard, and you don’t want to go to the zoo on your day off.”
Their commitment to parenting is clear, as they prioritize family time with their children despite the rigorous and stressful nature of teaching. This reinforces their strong sense of parental responsibility.
Categories: Entertaintment
Source: HIS Education