Dejan Udovičić

Last updated • 2 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
Dejan Udovičić
Personal information
Born (1970-07-26) July 26, 1970 (age 54)
Belgrade, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia
Medal record
Men's Water Polo
Head Coach for Flag of Serbia.svg  Serbia
Olympic Games
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2008 Beijing
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2012 London
World Championship
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2009 Rome
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2011 Shanghai
European Championship
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2006 Belgrade
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2012 Eindhoven
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2008 Málaga
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2010 Zagreb
FINA World League
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2006 Athens
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2007 Berlin
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2008 Genova
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2010 Niš
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2011 Firenze
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2009 Podgorica
FINA World Cup
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2006 Budapest
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2010 Oreada
Mediterranean Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2009 Pescara
Head Coach for Flag of the United States.svg  United States
Olympic Games
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2024 Paris
FINA World League
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2016 Huizhou
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2020 Tbilisi
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2022 Strasbourg
FINA World Cup
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2023 Los Angeles
Pan American Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2015 Toronto
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2019 Lima
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2023 Santiago

Dejan Udovičić (Serbian Cyrillic : Дејан Удовичић; born 26 July 1970) is a Serbian professional water polo head coach who currently coaches the U.S. men's national water polo team. [1] [2] He was named head coach for Serbia in June 2006, after the dissolution of the state union of Serbia and Montenegro. As a senior, he played for Partizan Belgrade and VK Beograd, while his coaching career started with Partizan where he stayed for nine seasons (2000-2009). His most notable achievement with the club was third place at the 2007 Euroleague Final Four in Milan. As its head coach of the Serbia national team, they won gold medals at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships and the 2006 Men's European Water Polo Championship, as well as the 2012 Men's European Water Polo Championship. He has also steered the national team to a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Contents

Early life

Dejan and his twin brother Darko began playing water polo in primary school, after a friend of their father's recommended that they tried it out. Both were attracted to other sports as well, but in the end decided to stick with water polo. At that time, Partizan had top level coaches who had emerged from the famous Yugoslav water polo school headed by Bata Vlaho Orlić (1934-2010). One of the top experts was Nikola Stamenić, who saw, early on, Dejan's potential as a player and even as a future coach. Dejan went on to play for Partizan with great success and became a member of the national team which he then captained for almost 15 years. On the other hand, Darko became the record holder for most games played in of the most successful national water polo teams of all time. While Darko ended his career as a player, Dejan decided to try himself as a coach.

Club career as a coach

VK Partizan (2000–2009)

Udovičić left the club on April 23, 2009, after his team's defeat against Jug in the Euroleague quarterfinals, which meant the Serbian champions failed to qualify for the Final Four.

Career as a Serbia national team coach

2012 Olympic Games in London

At the first training session before the 2012 European Championship, Udovičić showed his players an image of the golden medals which were to be awarded to the winners of the Olympic tournament in London. He told his players, When you start feeling like training is taking a toll on you, these images should remind you to keep working as hard as you can!" [3]

Honours

As a Coach

VK Partizan

Individual

Public Engagements

In 2011, Udovičić - with his fellow countrymen Vlade Divac and Slobodan Soro - appeared in a TV commercial for a Quit smoking campaign. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vlade Divac</span> Serbian basketball player and executive (born 1968)

Vlade Divac is a Serbian professional basketball executive and former player who was most recently the vice president of basketball operations and general manager of the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Vladimir Vujasinović is a Serbian professional water polo head coach and former player. He currently serves as head coach of VK Novi Beograd.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dejan Savić</span> Serbian water polo player

Dejan Savić is a Serbian professional water polo coach and former player.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Igor Milanović</span> Serbian water polo player

Igor Milanović is a Serbian professional water polo head coach and former player. He is considered one of the best water polo players of all time. Milanović had an illustrious professional career spanning twenty years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KK Partizan</span> Basketball club in Belgrade, Serbia

Košarkaški klub Partizan, commonly known as Partizan Belgrade, or as Partizan Mozzart Bet for sponsorship reasons, is a professional basketball club based in Belgrade, Serbia. It is part of the multi-sports Belgrade-based club Partizan. The club is a founding member and shareholder of the Adriatic Basketball Association, and competes in the ABA League and the EuroLeague.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Serbia men's national basketball team</span> Mens national basketball team representing Serbia

The Serbia men's national basketball team represents Serbia in international men's basketball competition, and is controlled by the Basketball Federation of Serbia. Serbia is currently ranked second in the FIBA World Ranking.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vanja Udovičić</span> Serbian politician and water polo player

Vanja Udovičić is a Serbian politician and former professional water polo player who served as minister of youth and sports from 2013 to 2022. An independent politician, he is aligned with the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS).

Sport in Serbia includes football, basketball, handball, tennis, volleyball, and water polo. Professional sports in Serbia are organized by sporting federations and leagues. Serbian professional sports includes multi-sport clubs, biggest and most successful of which are Crvena Zvezda, Partizan, Radnički and Beograd in Belgrade, Vojvodina in Novi Sad, Radnički in Kragujevac, Spartak in Subotica. Serbia had successes in basketball, winning the Olympic silver medal and Nikola Jokic winning 3 NBA MVPs, as well as the 2023 NBA Championship and Finals MVP, Novak Djokovic winning a record setting 24th Grand Slam, and in handball, volleyball and water polo as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duško Vujošević</span> Serbian–Montenegrin basketball coach

Duško Vujošević is a Serbian former basketball coach. He is currently active as coach consultant of the Montenegrin ABA League club Studentski centar since 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VK Partizan</span> Water polo team

Vaterpolo klub Partizan is a professional water polo club based in Belgrade, Serbia. VK Partizan is one of the sports clubs in Serbia that is part of sport society Partizan. As of 2023–24 season, the club competes in the Serbian League and Regional Water Polo League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slobodan Soro</span> Serbian-born Brazilian water polo player

Slobodan Soro is a Serbian-born Brazilian water polo goalkeeper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrija Prlainović</span> Serbian water polo player

Andrija Prlainović is a Serbian professional water polo player widely regarded as one of the greatest players ever. He was a member of the Serbia men's national water polo teams that won bronze medals at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics and gold medals in 2016 and 2020. He also held the world title in 2009 and 2015 and the European title in 2006, 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018. In 2011, he won the LEN Euroleague with VK Partizan and in 2013 with Red Star Belgrade, where he was one of the best scorers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stefan Mitrović (water polo)</span> Serbian water polo player

Stefan Mitrović is a Serbian water polo center back for Partizan. He was a member of the Serbia men's national water polo teams that won a bronze medal at the 2012 Olympics and gold medals in 2016 and 2020. He was pulled out of the 2008 Beijing Olympics team after suffering injuries in a motorcycle accident. He won the world title in 2009 and 2015 and the European title in 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vlada Jovanović</span> Serbian basketball coach

Vladimir "Vlada" Jovanović is a Serbian professional basketball coach who last served as head coach for Budućnost of the ABA League and the Montenegrin League.

Miloš Ćuk is a Serbian water polo player who plays for Radnički. His most notable achievement with the Serbia national water polo team are the golden medal from the 2012 European Championship held in Eindhoven and the silver medal from the 2011 World Championship in Shanghai. In 2011, he won with Partizan Raiffeisen the National Championship and National Cup of Serbia, LEN Euroleague, LEN Supercup and Eurointer League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milan Aleksić</span> Serbian water polo player

Milan Aleksić is a Serbian water polo center back who plays for Partizan and the Serbia men's national water polo team. He is a 2016 and 2020 Olympic champion and a 2012 Olympic bronze medalist. He also held the world title in 2009 and 2015 and European title in 2012, 2014 and 2016. His most notable achievements in a club competition are the LEN Euroleague and the LEN Supercup which he won in 2011 with Partizan Raiffeisen.

Marko Avramović is a Serbian water polo player. He played for Crvena Zvezda. He is also a part of the Serbian National team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theodoros Chatzitheodorou</span> Greek water polo player

Theodoros "Thodoris" Chatzitheodorou is a retired Greek water polo player and current coach.

Serbia takes part in the European Water Polo Championship and has won the men's competition in 2006, 2012, 2014 and 2016.

The Serbian Super League is the highest level of men's water polo in Serbia and it is organized by the Water polo Federation of Serbia.

References

  1. ↑ "Men's Senior National Team Coach". USA Water Polo. 2013-05-07. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  2. ↑ "Dejan Udovičić" (in Serbian). Serbia Water Polo Federation. Archived from the original on 6 April 2012. Retrieved 15 December 2011.
  3. ↑ "Udovičić igračima podelio slike olimpijske medalje!".
  4. ↑ "Ostavi pusenje osiguraj zivot - Dunav Osiguranje, Dejan Udovicic, Vlade Divac, Slobodan Soro". 24 November 2011.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.