Nikola Grbic is a legendary figure in Volleyball where he built a career which started as a player before taking the decision to carry on as a coach. The Serbian former setter enjoyed a successful playing career and is now doing well as a coach.
He is best known for winning Olympic gold with Yugoslavia at the Sydney 2000 Games and later leading teams as a coach at both club and international level. Grbic has also played a major role in the recent success of Poland’s men’s national volleyball team.
He remains Poland’s head coach and is leading the team at the 2026 European Championship after guiding them to the 2026 Volleyball Nations League title triumph.
Nikola Grbic Biography
He was born on September 6, 1973, in Klek, which was then part of Yugoslavia and is now in Serbia. Nikola Grbic grew up in a volleyball family, which helped him a lot as a young player.
His father’s name is Milos Grbic. He had time playing Volleyball during his younger days before passing the gene to his children.
His mother’s name is Mrs Grbic. There isn’t anything much made public about her personal life or profession as of today.
He is the younger brother of Vladimir Grbic, another famous Serbian volleyball player and Olympic champion. Grbic played as a setter, a position that requires quick decisions, excellent technique and strong knowledge of the game.
He stood at around 1.95 metres and became known for his smart distribution and leadership on the court. The International Volleyball Hall of Fame inducted him in 2016, making him and his brother Vladimir the first brothers to both enter the Hall of Fame.
His professional career started in the early 1990s. He played for Vojvodina Novi Sad before moving to Italy, where he spent many years competing for some of the country’s leading clubs.
His club career included teams such as Gabeca Montichiari, TNT Traco Catania, JMC Forlì, Cuneo, Sisley Treviso, Asystel Milano, Piacenza, Trentino and Zenit Kazan. His playing career ran from 1990 to 2014, when he officially retired.
Grbic also enjoyed a long international career. He represented Yugoslavia, Serbia and Montenegro, and Serbia during different periods.
He became an Olympic champion at Sydney 2000 and also won bronze at Atlanta 1996. Olympedia records four Olympic appearances for Grbic, including the 1996 bronze medal and 2000 gold medal.
Career
Nikola Grbic’s volleyball career is filled with major trophies at both club and international level. His first big domestic success came with Vojvodina Novi Sad, where he helped the team win three Yugoslav championships between 1992 and 1994.
He then moved to Italy and became one of the leading setters in European Volleyball. One of the biggest parts of his playing career came at Trentino.
With the Italian club, Grbic won the Italian championship in 2008 and the CEV Champions League in 2009. He later returned to Cuneo, where he won another Italian championship in 2010 and the Italian Cup in 2011.
He also won European trophies with Cuneo, Treviso and other clubs during his long career. His international achievements were even more important.
Grbic was part of the Yugoslav team that won Olympic gold in Sydney in 2000. He also won the European Championship in 2001 and collected medals at other major international competitions.
The International Volleyball Hall of Fame describes him as a standout setter who developed his reputation on the biggest stages in world volleyball.
After retiring as a player, Grbic moved quickly into coaching. In 2014, he became head coach of Sir Safety Perugia in Italy.
In 2015, he was appointed head coach of the Serbia men’s national team. His Serbia side won silver at the 2015 World League before going one step further in 2016, winning the World League title.
Grbic later coached Calzedonia Verona and returned to Poland with ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle. His spell with ZAKSA became one of the biggest highlights of his coaching career.
In 2021, he guided the Polish club to its first CEV Champions League title after a 3-1 win over Trentino in the final. ZAKSA had never previously won the competition, making the triumph a historic moment for the club.
In 2022, he became head coach of the Poland men’s national volleyball team. He quickly added major international success to his coaching record.
Poland won silver at the 2022 World Championship under his leadership, while his team also reached the Olympic final at Paris 2024 and secured silver after losing to France.
His success has continued into 2025 and 2026. In the 2025 Volleyball Nations League, Poland remained one of the leading teams under Grbic.
In 2026, Poland won the Volleyball Nations League title, beating the United States 3-2 in the final on August 2, 2026. As of today, he is still in charge of Poland national team.
The team is competing at the CEV EuroVolley 2026 tournament, with the official CEV team records listing Grbic as head coach. His current role shows that he remains one of the most important coaches in international men’s Volleyball.
Family
Nikola Grbic is known for keeping much of his private life away from the spotlight. He is married to Stanislava Grbic, who has generally stayed out of the media.
Reports about the couple describe her as an important source of support during his long career as both a player and coach. Grbic and Stanislava have two sons, Matija and Miloš.
Older reports also note that the family has remained closely connected despite his demanding volleyball career and years of travelling around Europe.
Family has always been an important part of Grbic’s story. His father, Milos Grbic, was also involved in Volleyball, while his brother Vladimir became an Olympic champion with Yugoslavia.
The relationship they all share is an important one, thanks to their passion for Volleyball which is something they all have a better understanding of themselves.
This strong family connection to the sport helped shape Nikola’s career from an early age. Meanwhile, there hasn’t been so much out to the public about his own family with his wife and kids.
Nikola Grbic’s Net Worth
Nikola Grbic’s net worth is estimated at $3 million. He has built a long career through professional Volleyball, coaching contracts, major tournament success and work with leading clubs and national teams.
His legacy is already strong as a former player; he was an Olympic champion, European champion and Champions League winner. As a coach, he has won the World League with Serbia and the CEV Champions League with ZAKSA.
He has also taken Poland to Olympic silver and, most recently, the 2026 Volleyball Nations League title. Another important part of Grbic’s legacy is his understanding of the setter position.
Having played at the highest level, he knows how to control the pace of a match, organize attacks and make decisions under pressure. That playing experience has helped shape his approach as a coach.
At 53 years old today, he is still active at the highest level. Poland’s participation in the 2026 European Championship means his next major target is another international title.
The CEV’s current records continue to list him as Poland’s head coach, showing that his coaching journey is far from over. He has built a rare career that covers the biggest parts of Volleyball.
He had Olympic success as a player, major European trophies, national-team achievements and continued success from the coaching bench.
