The Most Famous
COACHES from Serbia
Top 10
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Serbian Coaches of all time. This list of famous Serbian Coaches is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Serbian Coaches.
1. Dragan Stojković (b. 1965)
With an HPI of 62.17, Dragan Stojković is the most famous Serbian Coach. His biography has been translated into 58 different languages on wikipedia.
Dragan Stojković (Serbian Cyrillic: Драган Стојковић, pronounced [drǎɡan stǒːjkoʋitɕ]; born 3 March 1965), also known by the nickname Piksi (Пикси), is a Serbian football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. He's currently a selector head coach of the Serbia national team. Stojković was a long time captain of the Yugoslavia national team and Red Star Belgrade, and is considered one of the greatest footballers of all-time in Yugoslav and Serbian football. He was a star player for Yugoslavia at the 1990 (where he was selected for the World Cup All-Star Team) and 1998 FIFA World Cup, serving as captain at the latter. He is one of only five players to be awarded the "Star of the Red Star" and is widely considered to have never shown his true potential in Europe, as injury prevented him from establishing himself at Marseille over the long term. Despite this, there is consensus among critics that he displayed an extraordinary ability throughout his career in spite of his chronic injuries, he is renowned to be the greatest in the Japanese football. In 2021, he was appointed as coach of the Serbia national team, leading them to qualification for both 2022 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2024.
2. Dušan Ivković (1943 - 2021)
With an HPI of 59.19, Dušan Ivković is the 2nd most famous Serbian Coach. His biography has been translated into 25 different languages.
Dušan "Duda" Ivković (Serbian Cyrillic: Душан "Дуда" Ивковић; 29 October 1943 – 16 September 2021) was a Serbian professional basketball player and coach. He served as head coach of the senior Serbian national basketball team from 2007 to 2013, and of the senior Yugoslavian national basketball team, from 1987 (Serbia and Montenegro competed as the FR Yugoslavia national team following the breakup of Yugoslavia) to 1995. He was also the president of the Serbian club BKK Radnički. In 2008, he was named one of the 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors. He was elected to the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2017. He was also named a EuroLeague Basketball Legend in 2017.
3. Željko Obradović (b. 1960)
With an HPI of 58.09, Željko Obradović is the 3rd most famous Serbian Coach. His biography has been translated into 26 different languages.
Želimir "Željko" Obradović (Serbian Cyrillic: Желимир "Жељко" Обрадовић, pronounced [ʒɛ̌limiːr ʒêːʎko obrǎːdoʋitɕ]; (born 9 March 1960) is a Serbian professional basketball coach and former professional player who is the head coach for Partizan of the Basketball League of Serbia (KLS), the ABA League and the EuroLeague. Widely regarded as the greatest coach in European basketball history and outside the NBA, Obradović has won a total of 64 club titles and honours over the course of his 30-year-long coaching career, including a record nine EuroLeague titles with five different clubs, along with 18 EuroLeague Final Four appearances. In addition to his success at club level, he has also won major trophies as head coach of the Yugoslavia national team (present-day Serbia), most notably winning the gold medals at the 1997 EuroBasket and the 1998 FIBA World Championship. Among his individual coaching awards, he has won two FIBA European Coach of the Year awards, three EuroLeague Coach of the Year awards, four Greek Basket League Best Coach awards, the ABA League Coach of the Season award, two Manager of the Year in Turkey awards, the Best Sports Coach in Greece award and the Ivković Award for Lifetime Achievement. In 2008, he was named one of the 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors, making the list as one of the ten head coaches that were chosen.
4. Vladimir Petrović (b. 1955)
With an HPI of 55.95, Vladimir Petrović is the 4th most famous Serbian Coach. His biography has been translated into 25 different languages.
Vladimir Petrović (Serbian Cyrillic: Владимир Петровић, pronounced [ʋlǎdimiːr pětroʋitɕ]; born 1 July 1955) is a Serbian football manager and former player. He is widely known domestically by his nickname Pižon (Serbian: Пижон), after the French for pigeon.
5. Slavoljub Muslin (b. 1953)
With an HPI of 53.25, Slavoljub Muslin is the 5th most famous Serbian Coach. His biography has been translated into 23 different languages.
Slavoljub Muslin (Serbian Cyrillic: Славољуб Муслин, pronounced [slǎʋoʎub mǔslin]; born 15 June 1953) is a Serbian football manager and former player. Muslin began his head coaching career in 1988 and has since had stints in France, Morocco, Serbia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Belgium, Cyprus, Belarus, Russia and Saudi Arabia. As a player, he played as a defender for several clubs, the most important being Red Star Belgrade and later Lille. Muslin qualified for the 2018 World Cup with the Serbia national team although he was sacked before the final tournament.
6. Ljubiša Broćić (1911 - 1995)
With an HPI of 53.05, Ljubiša Broćić is the 6th most famous Serbian Coach. His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.
Ljubiša Broćić (Serbian Cyrillic: Љубиша Броћић; 3 October 1911 – 16 August 1995) was a Serbian football manager.
7. Josip Kuže (1952 - 2013)
With an HPI of 52.19, Josip Kuže is the 7th most famous Serbian Coach. His biography has been translated into 31 different languages.
Josip Kuže (13 November 1952 – 16 June 2013) was a Croatian football manager and footballer. He was a player and later a manager of Dinamo Zagreb where he played for 10 years, making a total of 384 appearances and scoring 14 goals.
8. Ratko Rudić (b. 1948)
With an HPI of 49.03, Ratko Rudić is the 8th most famous Serbian Coach. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
Ratko Rudić (born 7 June 1948 in Belgrade, PR Serbia, FPR Yugoslavia) is a retired Croatian water polo coach and a former water polo player. As of 2015, he has won 38 medals as a coach at major events, making him the most successful water polo coach in history, and second most successful team sport coach of all time. He won four gold medals, of which three consecutive, with three different national teams at the Summer Olympics, as well as three gold medals with three national teams at the World Championships, among many others. In 2007 was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame, described as "one of the best, if not the best, water polo coach to walk the deck of the pool". In 1989 received AVNOJ award, the highest Yugoslav award. In 2007 received Franjo Bučar State Award for Sport as Yearly Award, while in 2012 Award for Life Achievement. In 2012 was the recipient of Order of Duke Branimir in Croatia, while in 2018 of Palma al Merito Tecnico by the Italian National Olympic Committee. In 2012 he retired from coaching and became sports director of the Croatian Water Polo Federation until late 2013 when he became the coach of the Brazil men's national team to lead them through the 2016 Summer Olympics. From 2018 to 2020 he was the coach of Italian water polo club Pro Recco. On 6 May 2020, Rudić announced his retirement from water polo.
9. Ivan Jovanović (b. 1962)
With an HPI of 45.00, Ivan Jovanović is the 9th most famous Serbian Coach. His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.
Ivan Jovanović (Serbian Cyrillic: Иван Јовановић; born 8 July 1962) is a Serbian professional football manager and former player who is the manager of the Greek National Team.
10. Radmilo Ivančević (b. 1950)
With an HPI of 43.78, Radmilo Ivančević is the 10th most famous Serbian Coach. Her biography has been translated into 17 different languages.
Radmilo Ivančević (Serbian Cyrillic: Радмило Иванчевић; born 4 September 1950) is a Serbian football manager and former footballer.
People
Pantheon has 11 people classified as Serbian coaches born between 1911 and 1972. Of these 11, 8 (72.73%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Serbian coaches include Dragan Stojković, Željko Obradović, and Vladimir Petrović. The most famous deceased Serbian coaches include Dušan Ivković, Ljubiša Broćić, and Josip Kuže. As of April 2024, 3 new Serbian coaches have been added to Pantheon including Ljubiša Broćić, Ratko Rudić, and Aleksandar Janković.
Living Serbian Coaches
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Dragan Stojković
1965 - Present
HPI: 62.17
Željko Obradović
1960 - Present
HPI: 58.09
Vladimir Petrović
1955 - Present
HPI: 55.95
Slavoljub Muslin
1953 - Present
HPI: 53.25
Ratko Rudić
1948 - Present
HPI: 49.03
Ivan Jovanović
1962 - Present
HPI: 45.00
Radmilo Ivančević
1950 - Present
HPI: 43.78
Aleksandar Janković
1972 - Present
HPI: 40.50
Deceased Serbian Coaches
Go to all RankingsDušan Ivković
1943 - 2021
HPI: 59.19
Ljubiša Broćić
1911 - 1995
HPI: 53.05
Josip Kuže
1952 - 2013
HPI: 52.19
Newly Added Serbian Coaches (2024)
Go to all RankingsLjubiša Broćić
1911 - 1995
HPI: 53.05
Ratko Rudić
1948 - Present
HPI: 49.03
Aleksandar Janković
1972 - Present
HPI: 40.50
Overlapping Lives
Which Coaches were alive at the same time? This visualization shows the lifespans of the 3 most globally memorable Coaches since 1700.
