Ivica Tucak (born 8 February 1970) is a Croatian professional water polo coach and former player who has been the head coach of the Croatia men's national water polo team since 16 September 2012.[1]
| Ivica Tucak | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Tucak as Croatia head coach at the 2015 World Championship | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Full name | Ivica Tucak | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
8 February 1970 Šibenik, SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Croatian | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current team | Croatia (head coach) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams coached | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2005–???? | Croatia (juniors) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2006–2009 | VK Šibenik NCP | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2009–2012 | PVK Jadran | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2010–2011 | Croatia (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2012– | Croatia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Winning the gold medal at the 2017 and 2024 World Championship, silver medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics, and the gold medal at the 2022 European Championship, he has been the most successful coach of the Croatia national team.[2]
Playing career edit
Tucak started his professional playing career with the junior team of his hometown club VK Šibenik, where he stayed until 1989, playing together with the famous Croatian player, Perica Bukić.[3]
In 1989, he signed with Belgrade-based club Crvena zvezda. In 1991, he went to Switzerland and signed for Bissone Lugano. In 1993, he returned to his home–VK Šibenik–and stayed there for two years. Tucak then went to Italy and stayed there for seven years, playing for Talimar Palermo, Como Milano, Snam Milano and Sori. In 2002, he returned to Croatia and played for VK Medveščak until 2004. He finished his career in 2005 at his hometown club VK Šibenik.[3]
During his professional career, he was not a member of the senior Croatia men's national water polo team.
Coaching career edit
Tucak started his head coaching career at his hometown club VK Šibenik, managing them to reach the LEN Euro Cup final game in the 2006–07 season.[3] In 2009, he became head coach of Montenegrin First League club PVK Jadran, with which he won two Adriatic Leagues and one national league and cup title.[3]
National team coaching career edit
In 2005, Tucak started to work as coach of the junior men's Croatia national team along Veselin Đuho, winning the bronze medal at the 2008 European Championship in Belgrade, and the gold medal at the 2009 World Championship in Šibenik.
From 2010 until 2011, Tucak worked as assistant to the head coach of the senior Croatia men's team, Ratko Rudić, while in September 2012, he succeeded him.[4][3] With Croatia, he won the 2017 World Championship tournament in Hungary. He won another world championship in 2024 in Qatar, and in 2022 he was also the European champion! [5][3]
Personal life edit
Born in Šibenik, Tucak graduated from the water polo at the Zagreb Faculty of Kinesiology in 2013, where his mentor was the famous Croatian water polo player, Dubravko Šimenc.[6] In 2010, City of Šibenik awarded Tucak for the best coach in Šibenik in 2009.[7]
Tucak, with his wife Marijana, had a daughter Tena who died tragically in June 2005, at the age of 3.[8][9]
Tucak is awarded for the best coach in the world by FINA, in December 2017.[10]
Honours edit
Coach edit
VK Šibenik NCP
- LEN Euro Cup runner-up: 2006–07[3]
PVK Jadran
- Regional League A1: 2009–10, 2010–11[3]
- Montenegrin League: 2009–10,[3] 2011–12
- Montenegrin Cup: 2010–11[3]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "Razočarani Tucak iskreno priznao: Treba biti čovjek i reći – Srbija je bolja!". Gol.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 21 August 2016.
- ^ "Brojni poznati uzvanici uveličali 50. rođendan našeg trofejnog vaterpolskog izbornika". Novi list (in Croatian). 8 February 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Ivica Tucak - Hrvatski vaterpolski savez" (in Croatian). Croatian Water Polo Federation. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
- ^ "Tucak novi izbornik vaterpolske reprezentacije" (in Croatian). Croatian Radiotelevision. 16 September 2012. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
- ^ "Hrvatska svjetski vaterpolski prvak!" (in Croatian). Croatian Radiotelevision. 29 July 2017. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
- ^ "Izbornik vaterpolo reprezentacije: „Bez pohađanja KIF-a nemoguće je dobro raditi ovaj posao"". studentski.hr (in Croatian). 30 May 2021. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
- ^ "Izabrani najbolji u šibenskom sportu za 2009.godinu" (in Croatian). šibenik.hr. 8 February 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
- ^ "Umrla djevojčica na koju je pao aparat za igračke". Index.hr (in Croatian). 21 June 2005. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
- ^ Žukina, Predrag (6 August 2017). "IVICA TUCAK 'Smrt moje kćeri je samo moja tragedija i tragedija moje supruge. Bilo je to najljepše i najpametnije dijete na svijetu'". Jutarnji list (in Croatian). Retrieved 9 August 2021.
- ^ "Ivica Tucak biografija". www.biografija.com. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
