Famous German Coaches

Jürgen Klopp is a German football manager and former player. He is the manager of the Liverpool football club and is considered as one of the best managers in the world. He has also been the manager of Borussia Dortmund. Liverpool won their first FIFA Club World Cup and first Premier League title under him. He is famous for his enthusiastic celebrations.

Jürgen Klinsmann is a German football manager who guided the German national team throughout the 2006 FIFA World Cup, helping them finish third. A former player, Klinsmann helped the West German team win the 1990 World Cup. One of Germany's main strikers during the 1990s, Jürgen Klinsmann was named in Pele's FIFA 100 list in 2004.

Retired Borussia footballer and manager Jupp Heynckes is known as the man who turned Bayern Munich’s fortunes around, with his combination of discipline and tactics, winning four Bundesliga titles with them as a coach. He has also won two UEFA Champion Leagues, one with Bayern and another with Real Madrid.

Bert Trautmann was a German football player who played as a goalkeeper for popular teams like Manchester City and St Helens Town. He made 508 appearances for the Manchester City from 1949 to 1964. Regarded as one of the best goalkeepers of his generation, Bert Trautmann was made an inductee of the National Football Museum's Hall of Fame in 2005.

Ottmar Hitzfeld is a German retired football player who played as a forward for popular teams like Basel, VfB Stuttgart, Lugano, and Luzern. After retiring as a player, Hitzfeld established himself as a successful manager. Ottmar Hitzfeld has won 18 major titles so far and is counted among the most successful coaches of international football.  

Matthias Sammer is a German retired professional football player who played as a defensive midfielder for East Germany from 1986 to 1990 and for Germany from 1990 to 1997. In 1996, he helped Germany win the UEFA European Championship title, where he was adjudged the best player of the tournament. Subsequently, Matthias Sammer was honored with the prestigious Ballon d'Or.

Otto Rehhagel is a German retired football coach and player. As both player and manager, Rehhagel has taken part in more than 1,000 Bundesliga matches. In 2004, he was named the IFFHS World's Best National Coach. In 2013, Otto Rehhagel was mentioned in the World Soccer magazine as the 36th Greatest Manager of All Time.

Retired US baseball player and coach Ron Gardenhire was mostly known as a shortstop for the New York Mets during his playing career. He has also been a manager and coach of the Minnesota Twins, among other teams and was inducted into the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame in 2022.

Sascha Bajin is a German tennis coach of Serbian origin. A former tennis player, Bajin achieved popularity when he started working with Serena Williams. He served as Serena's hitting partner for eight years, during which she won many titles. He is also credited with coaching Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka and helping her win two Grand Slam titles.

The former head coach of NHL teams such as the Edmonton Oilers and the Buffalo Sabres, Ralph Kruegern was in the news after being fired by the Sabres after their 12-game losing streak. He also headed the Swiss men’s team at the Vancouver Olympics and was associated with the World Economic Forum, too.

Carsten Jancker is a German former football player who played as a striker for Germany from 1998 to 2002. During his playing career, Jancker also played for popular clubs like Bayern Munich, FC Kaiserslautern, and SV Mattersburg. After retiring as a player, Carsten Jancker established himself as a successful football coach. He is the current manager of DSV Leoben.

Andreas Köpke is a German retired footballer who played as a goalkeeper for Germany from 1990 to 1998. In 1996, he helped Germany win the UEFA European Football Championship. He was also part of the national team at the 1990, 1994, and 1998 World Cup. Andreas Köpke was named Best European Goalkeeper and the IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper in 1996.

The head coach of the Serbian men’s national basketball team, Svetislav Pešić has previously won several medals as the head coach of Yugoslavia, FR Yugoslavia, and Germany. Both his son, Marko, and his son-in-law, Jan Jagla, have played basketball for Germany. In his short career as a player, he went undrafted by the NBA.

Thomas Schaaf is a German football manager best known for his achievements in the Bundesliga, where he has been one of the longest-serving coaches. In 2004, he was named German Football Manager of the Year. A former player, Thomas Schaaf played as a defender for Werder Bremen from 1978 to 1995, during which he won several titles, including the Bundesliga.

Retired German footballer Olaf Thon was mostly known as a central midfielder and played exclusively for Schalke 04 and Bayern Munich throughout his career. He has also managed the German club VfB Hüls. Also known as The Professor, he was part of the 1990 FIFA World Cup-winning German squad.

German-American football coach Ernie Stautner, who coached teams such as the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Dallas Cowboys, and the Denver Broncos, had also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers as a defensive tackle. The No. 70 jersey, which he wore, was retired in his honor by the Steelers after his retirement.

Known as the world’s most successful Olympic coach for any sport, German rowing coach Jürgen Gröbler has led teams to medals at every Olympic games from 1972 to 2016, except 1984. He coached both the East German and British national rowing teams and has also received the Order of the British Empire.

Retired German luger Georg Hackl scripted history as the world’s sole singles luger with 3 consecutive Olympic gold medal wins. He has also been a 3-time World Champion. Initially a student of metallurgy, he began building his own sleds by the age of 16. He is also known as Hackl-Schorsch or the Speeding Weißwurst.

German-American basketball coach Demond Greene was born in the US, to an African-American father and a German mother. He is also a former player who has represented teams such as Bayern Munich and DJK Würzburg. An Olympian, he was also part of the EuroBasket silver medal-winning German squad in 2005.

Henrik R is a German basketball coach who is credited with bringing in European players into the North Carolina basketball program. A former player, Henrik helped Germany win the gold medal at the 1993 EuroBasket and the bronze medal at the 2002 FIBA World Cup. Henrik R was a seven-time German League champion and four-time German Cup winner.

German basketball coach Dirk Bauermann initially played for BBC Krefeld and then began his coaching career as an assistant coach with Fresno State. Throughout his illustrious coaching career, he has been associated with countless teams, such as Germany, Tunisia, Poland, Iran, and clubs such as Bayern Munich.

André Lange is a German former bobsledder who competed at the Winter Olympics in 2002, 2006 and 2010. Considered the most successful German bob pilot of all time, Lange is best known for winning four gold medals and a silver medal at the Olympics spanning from 2002 to 2010. Lange has also won eight gold medals at the World Championships.

Fritz Sdunek was a German boxing trainer and former amateur boxer. Widely regarded as one of the most famous and successful boxing trainers of all time, Fritz Sdunek is best remembered for having trained world champions like Vitali Klitschko, Wladimir, and Dariusz Michalczewski. 

Ulli Wegner is a German boxing coach who became the national coach of the German Amateur Boxing Association in Berlin in 1991. German amateur boxers won around 150 medals at the Olympic Games, Military Games, and World and European Championships under Wegner's training. In 1996, Ulli Wegner helped Oktay Urkal win a silver medal at the Olympic Games.

German football coach and retired footballer Stephen Arigbabu was best known as a power forward/ center for clubs such as Braunschweig and Olympia Larissa. He was also part of the 2002 FIBA World Cup bronze-winning and 2005 EuroBasket silver-winning German squads. Post-retirement, he has been an assistant coach for Baskets Würzburg.

David McCray is a German former basketball player who played as a point guard for popular clubs like BG Karlsruhe, Artland Dragons, and Telekom Baskets Bonn. After retiring as a player, McCray went on to establish himself as a coach. David McCray is currently working as an assistant coach for Riesen Ludwigsburg.

German ice hockey player and coach Manfred von Richthofen was the nephew of World War I fighter pilot Manfred von Richthofen, or the Red Baron. He was also a sports official who served as the president of the German national Olympic federation. He was also a major force behind the formation of the DOSB.

Jamilon Mülders is a German former field hockey player best known for winning the gold medal at the 2001 Champions Trophy and the 2002 World Cup. After retiring as a player, Mülders established himself as a coach. Jamilon Mülders has coached the Chinese and German national teams. He is currently working as the coach of the Dutch women's national team.

John Ecker is a German-American retired basketball player and coach. He achieved popularity while playing for the UCLA Bruins, winning three consecutive national championships from 1969 to 1971. John Ecker is also known as the father of popular pole vaulter Danny Ecker.

Born to German immigrants in Canada, Michael Jackel began his college basketball career with Simon Fraser University. He then had a 17-year career with Basketball Bundeslig and won four German League and four German Cup championships. He was also part of the 1993 Eurobasket-winning German team.

Retired German footballer and coach Denis Wucherer has represented clubs such as Frankfurt Skyliners and Benetton Treviso as a player. A promising shooting guard, he, however, went undrafted by the NBA in 1995. He was part of the 2005 European Championships silver-winning German squad.

Thorsten Leibenath is a German retired basketball coach and player. He is best known for coaching the Ulm basketball team from 2011 to 2019. In 2019, Thorsten Leibenath retired as a coach and started working as the sports director of ratiopharm Ulm.

Robert Maras is a German retired basketball player and coach. He was an important member of the German national team that won the bronze medal at the 2002 FIBA World Cup in the USA and the silver medal at the 2005 EuroBasket. Robert Maras also played for popular clubs like Caja San Fernando, Bayern Munich, and Skyliners Frankfurt.

Mathias Muller is a German professional hockey player who plays for the German national team. A defender, Muller helped his national team win the gold medal at the 2014 Champions Trophy; silver medal at the 2015 EuroHockey Championship; and bronze medal at the 2016 Olympic Games. Mathias Muller is also currently playing for the Hamburger Polo Club.

Markku Slawyk is a German retired professional field hockey player. He is best known for competing at the 1984 Olympic Games, where he won the silver medal for West Germany. After retiring as a player, Markku Slawyk went on to establish himself as a coach in his native country. 

Klaus Perwas is a German retired basketball player who played for Telekom Baskets Bonn from 1995 to 1999. After retiring as a player, Perwas went on to establish himself as a coach and is currently working as the assistant coach for the Skyliners Frankfurt.

Christopher Faust is a German hockey trainer and coach. He has coached both men's and women's teams. Christopher Faust is also known for publishing a children book series titled Die Hockey-Kids.

Alon Stein is an Israeli-German former professional basketball player. He currently works as a coach and is affiliated with Maccabi Rishon Lezion of the Israeli Premier League as an assistant coach. He began playing basketball as a child and played in the State Youth Cup final in 1992 as a 14-year-old. He retired as a player in 2012. 

Vladimir Bogojević is a Serbian-German former basketball player who played as a point guard or shooting guard for the Germany national basketball team. A three-time German League champion and two-time German Cup winner, Vladimir Bogojević is counted among the most popular players of his generation. After retiring as a player, Bogojević established himself as a coach.