Stefan Horngacher stood in front of the black dividing tape in Nuremberg’s exhibition hall 12, his arms folded behind his back as so often, his look: serious. And the national ski jumping coach immediately made it clear that he wanted to comment on a topic this Wednesday morning that must have kept him very busy over the past few weeks, even months. “Before you ask the questions, I wanted to say something that is important to me personally,” Horngacher began – and dropped the key sentence: “This will now be my last season as national coach of the German national team.” What a bang with the official outfitting of the athletes of the German Ski Association (DSV).
Horngacher emphasized that he wanted to communicate this right at the beginning of the season, “so that there are no questions, there is clarity, it’s easier for the athletes too. And for me the circle closes with the Olympic Games. I started my first season in Predazzo, as a jumper at the 1991 World Championships.” At that time, he won gold with the Austrian team together with Ernst Vettori, Andreas Felder and Heinz Kuttin, the current national coach of the German ski jumpers.
Horngacher was more successful in Poland than in Germany
Horngacher, 56, will be stepping down next spring after seven years as national coach of the DSV ski jumpers. He was previously assistant coach under Werner Schuster from 2011 to 2016, whom he succeeded in 2019. The highlights as a head coach so far have been the team gold at the 2021 World Championships in Oberstdorf and Karl Geiger’s individual title at the 2020 Ski Flying World Championships in Planica. Horngacher has not yet produced the next German Four Hills Tournament winner after Sven Hannawald (2002). He was much more successful as head coach of the Polish men, whom he looked after from 2016 to 2019. During his time, which was characterized by the outstanding Kamil Stoch, there was an Olympic victory in the individual (2018), World Cup titles in the team (2017) and in the individual (2019), two overall victories in the Four Hills Tournament (2017 and 2018) and a first place in the overall World Cup (2018).
Horngacher, who never really liked being in the spotlight, didn’t want to use the constant presence in the public eye and the pressure to succeed as an explanation for his move in Nuremberg. And yet he felt a certain weariness in office within him; his statements can hardly be interpreted in any other way: “The pressure is the same everywhere, but I’ve been the national coach for ten years, seven years in Germany, three in Poland, that’s quite draining.” It was enough now, he wanted to take “a step back”. At the same time, Horngacher emphasized that he would “really exert himself again” over the next five months, which will culminate in the Olympic Games in February.
For those responsible at the DSV, Horngacher’s decision apparently came quite suddenly. “I have to let it sink in a bit first. That came as a bit of a surprise to me too,” said sports director Horst Hüttel, who is now trying to find “a long-term solution” again. Possible candidates are Thomas Thurnbichler, who is responsible for the B squad, or C squad coach Ronny Hornschuh.
Horngacher, father of three children, is expected to return to his adopted home in Titisee-Neustadt in the Black Forest after this season. There he will consult with his wife Nicole Hoffmeyer, Sven Hannawald and Martin Schmitt’s former physiotherapist, and the family about what to do next and find time to play the guitar and golf. When things have come full circle – ideally with Olympic gold for Germany.