Jan Pytlick (born 5 June 1967) is a Danish handball coach, and trains Saudi Arabia national team. He was head coach for the Danish women's national handball team from 1998 to 2006, and again from 2007 to 2014.[1] Pytlick has led the women's national team to victory in two Summer Olympics, as they became Olympic Champions in 2000, and again in 2004. After the team's flop at the 2014 European Women's Handball Championship, DHF and Pytlick agreed to end cooperation.[2]

Jan Pytlick
Personal information
Full name Jan Pytlick
Born (1967-06-05) 5 June 1967 (age 57)
Thurø, Denmark
Nationality Danish
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Teams managed
Years Team
1991–1995
GOG Women's team
1995–1997
Team Esbjerg
1997–1998
GOG Men's team
1998–2006
Denmark
2006–2007
GOG
2007–2014
Denmark
2015–2016
ŽRK Vardar
2016–2020
Odense Håndbold
2020–2022
SønderjyskE Håndbold
2022–2023
Saudi Arabia
Medal record
Coach for women's handball
 Denmark
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2004 Athens Team
Gold medal – first place 2000 Sydney Team
World Championship
Bronze medal – third place 2013 Serbia Team
European Championship
Gold medal – first place 2002 Denmark Team
Silver medal – second place 1998 Netherlands Team
Silver medal – second place 2004 Hungary Team

He is educated as a bricklayer. He played handball himself until he was forced to stop by injuries at the age of 19. This lead him to pursue a training career instead.

He was the coach of the Danish teams Team Esbjerg and GOG Handball, both in Women's handball and men's handball,[3] before DHF suggested that he applied to become the Danish national coach. He rejected the idea initially, but decided to apply anyway.

His three children Simon Pytlick, Camilla Pytlick and Josephine Pytlick are all professional handball players,[4][5] and so was his wife, Berit Bogetoft. His nephew Andreas Haagen Pytlick is also a professional handballer.[6]

The Danish Women's national team

edit

He met success immediately in the position, when he won silver medals at the 1998 European Women's Handball Championship despite the fact, that recently a long list of established players had decided to retire.

He won back-to-back Olympic gold medals as well as gold at the 2002 European Women's Handball Championship and silver at the 2004 European Women's Handball Championship.

In 2005 he rejoined his former club GOG Håndbold. He did however not have much success, as the club finished the season in the middle of the table.

In February 2007 he was once again hired as the Denmark when Brian Lyngholm decided to withdraw. It was initially only ment to be a temporary return, but in March 2007 he decided to quit his GOG position to focus 100% on the national team. He signed a five-year agreement up to and including the 2012 Olympics.[7] In the end he was the Danish national coach until 2014.[8]

After the Danish National Team

edit

He returned to club Handball to coach Odense Håndbold, but was fired in 2019. He then joined SønderjyskE Håndbold, where he was given a three-year deal, but was fired in 2019 due to disappointing results.[9] He had initially planned to retire after the SønderjyskE position, but was convinced to join the Saudi Arabia men's national handball team up and until the 2023 World Cup.

References

edit
  1. ^ "Dame A-trænere gennem årene" (in Danish). Dansk Håndbold Forbund. Archived from the original on 16 December 2013. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  2. ^ "Chok: Jan Pytlick stopper efter EM-fiasko" (in Danish). tv2.dk. Archived from the original on 29 December 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
  3. ^ "Jan Pytlick fyret - TV 2". 19 November 2021.
  4. ^ "Simon Pytlick – Biografi med alder, klubber og 8 fakta". hbold.dk. 15 December 2022.
  5. ^ "Hadsten Håndbold henter Josephine Pytlick til klubben". 30 June 2023.
  6. ^ "Far møder søn i dansk topkamp: - Slut med varm mad og tøjvask". 14 November 2020.
  7. ^ "Pytlick er tilbage i drømmejobbet". 26 March 2007.
  8. ^ "Jan Pytlick færdig som landstræner". 28 December 2014.
  9. ^ "Jan Pytlick fyret - TV 2". 19 November 2021.
Sporting positions
Preceded by Denmark women's national handball team head coach
1998–2005
Succeeded by
Preceded by Denmark women's national handball team head coach
2007–2014
Succeeded by