Icelandic basketball coach
Benedikt Rúnar Guðmundsson (born 19 August 1972) is an Icelandic professional basketball coach for Úrvalsdeild karla club Tindastóll the Icelandic women's national basketball team.[1] He has been named Úrvalsdeild karla Coach of the Year twice: in the 2006–07[2] season and in the 2008–09 season,.[3] In both seasons, he won the Icelandic men's championship KR. He has been named the Úrvalsdeild kvenna Coach of the year twice; in 2010, when he also won the Icelandic women's championship with KR, and in 2019.
Coaching career
After coaching Þór Þorlákshöfn from 2010,[4] Benedikt took over Þór Akureyri men's and women's teams in 2015.[5] He led the men's team to victory in Division I in 2016 and a promotion to Úrvalsdeild karla.[6] He led the women's team to victory in Division I in 2017 but the team failed to achieve promotion til the Úrvalsdeild kvenna after losing to Breiðablik in the promotion playoffs.[7]
In May 2017, Benedikt was hired as the head coach of KR women's team.[8]
After guiding KR to the Úrvalsdeild playoffs in 2019, Benedikt was named the Úrvalsdeild kvenna Coach of the Year.[9] On 11 May 2020, he announced he was leaving KR.[10]
On 30 May 2021, Benedikt was hired as the head coach of Úrvalsdeild karla club Njarðvík.[11] On 18 September he guided Njarðvík to a 97–93 win against Stjarnan in the Icelandic Cup final, ending the clubs 16 year major title draught.[12] He led Njarðvík to the best record in the Úrvalsdeild, becoming the first coach to lead three different clubs to the leagues best record.[13] He left Njarðvík at the conclusion of his contract following the team's loss against Valur in the Úrvalsdeild semi-finals in May 2024.[14]
In end of May 2024, Benedikt was hires as the head coach of Tindastóll.[15]
Awards, titles and accomplishments
Individual awards
Titles
Men's leagues
Women's leagues
References