Benedikt Guðmundsson
Icelandic basketball coach
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Benedikt Rúnar Guðmundsson (born 19 August 1972) is an Icelandic basketball coach.[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.
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 19 August 1972 | ||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Icelandic | ||||||||||||||
| Coaching career | 1995–present | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
Coaching | |||||||||||||||
| 1995–1997 | KR (M) | ||||||||||||||
| 1996–1997 | KR (W) | ||||||||||||||
| 1997–1998 | Grindavík (M) | ||||||||||||||
| 2003–2006 | Fjölnir (M) | ||||||||||||||
| 2006–2009 | KR (M) | ||||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | KR (W) | ||||||||||||||
| 2010–2015 | Þór Þorlákshöfn (M) | ||||||||||||||
| 2015–2017 | Þór Akureyri (M) | ||||||||||||||
| 2015–2017 | Þór Akureyri (W) | ||||||||||||||
| 2017–2020 | KR (W) | ||||||||||||||
| 2019–2025 | Iceland (W) | ||||||||||||||
| 2021–2024 | Njarðvík (M) | ||||||||||||||
| 2024-2025 | Tindastóll (M) | ||||||||||||||
| Career highlights | |||||||||||||||
As coach:
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Medals
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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] He led Tindastóll to the best record in the league and to the Úrvalsdeild finals where they lost to Stjarnan 2-3. After the season, he stepped down as head coach.[16]
Awards, titles and accomplishments
Individual awards
- Úrvalsdeild karla Coach of the year (2): 2005, 2009
- Úrvalsdeild kvenna Coach of the year (2): 2010, 2019
- Icelandic Women's D1 Coach of the year : 2018[17]
Titles
Men's leagues
- Icelandic champion (2): 2007, 2009
- Icelandic Division I (2): 2011, 2016
- Icelandic Cup (2): 1998, 2021
- Icelandic Super Cup: 2007
- Icelandic Company Cup: 2008
Women's leagues
- Icelandic champion: 2010
- Icelandic Division I: 2017, 2018
- Icelandic Super Cup: 2009
- Icelandic Company Cup: 2009