Ivica Tucak
Ivica Tucak (born 8 February 1970) is a Croatian professional water polo coach and former player who is 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 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Croatia (juniors) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2006–2010 | VK Šibenik NCP | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2010–2012 | PVK Jadran | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2012– | Croatia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Winning the gold medal at the 2017 World Championship, silver medals at the 2015 World Championship and the 2016 Summer Olympics, and the bronze medal at the 2018 European Championship, he has been the most successful coach of the Croatia national team ever.[2]
Playing career
Tucak started his professional playing career in 1985 with the junior team of his hometown club VK Šibenik, where he played with the famous Croatian player Perica Bukić.
In 1988 he signed with Belgrade-based team Crvena zvezda. In 1990 he left the club and went to Italy, where he played with Palermo, Genoa and Milan. In 1999 he came back to his hometown, but left it in 2002, signing with Zagreb-based team VK Medveščak. Before he retired from playing professional water polo, he again signed for Šibenik and played there until 2005.
During his professional career, he was not a member of the senior Croatia national team.
Coaching career
Tucak started his head coaching career with his hometown club VK Šibenik, guided them to play the LEN Euro Cup final game in 2006–07 season. In 2010 he was named the head coach of the Montenegrin First League club PVK Jadran. He won two Adriatic Leagues with the Herceg Novi-based team.
National team coaching career
Tucak firstly worked as the head 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.
Before he was appointed as the head coach in September 2012, Tucak worked as an assistant coach to Ratko Rudić in the senior Croatian men's national team.[3] With Croatia, he won the 2017 World Championship tournament in Hungary.[4]
Personal life
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. In 2009, City of Šibenik awarded him for Best Trainer award.
Tucak, with his wife Marijana, had a daughter Tena who died tragically in June 2005, in his hometown. He is nominated for ever more Best Trainer award of the world by FINA, in December 2017.[5]
Honours
Coach
VK Šibenik NCP
- LEN Euro Cup runner-up: 2006–07
PVK Jadran
- Regional League A1: 2009–10, 2010–11
- Montenegrin League: 2009–10, 2011–12
References
- "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.
- "Tucak novi izbornik vaterpolske reprezentacije". Croatian Radiotelevision (in Croatian). 16 September 2012. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
- "Hrvatska svjetski vaterpolski prvak!". Croatian Radiotelevision (in Croatian). 29 July 2017. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
- Ivica Tucak biografija | Biografija.com. Retrieved 25 June 2017.