Ivica Tucak

{{Infobox water polo biography

| name = Ivica Tucak

| image = Kazan 2015 - Water polo - Men - Gold medal match - 194.JPG

| image_size = 300px

| caption = Tucak as Croatia head coach at the 2015 World Championship

| fullname = Ivica Tucak

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1970|2|8|df=y}}

| birth_place = Šibenik, SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia

| height =

| nationality = Croatian

| currentclub = Croatia (head coach)

| coachyears1 = 2005–????

| coachyears2 = 2006–2009

| coachyears3 = 2009–2012

| coachyears4 = 2010–2011

| coachyears5 = 2012–

| coachclubs1 = Croatia (juniors)

| coachclubs2 = VK Šibenik NCP

| coachclubs3 = PVK Jadran

| coachclubs4 = Croatia (assistant)

| coachclubs5 = Croatia

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalSport|Head Coach for {{wp|CRO}}}}

}}

Ivica Tucak (born 8 February 1970) is a Croatian professional water polo coach and former player who has been the head coach of the Croatia men's national water polo team since 16 September 2012.{{cite web|url=http://gol.dnevnik.hr/clanak/olimpijske-igre-2016/izbornik-ivica-tucak-razocaran-izgubljenim-finalom-srbija-je-bila-bolja---447295.html |title=Razočarani Tucak iskreno priznao: Treba biti čovjek i reći – Srbija je bolja! |work=Gol.hr |access-date=21 August 2016 |language=hr}}

Winning the gold medal at the 2017 and 2024 World Championship, silver medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics, the gold medal at the 2022 European Championship, and the silver medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics, he is regarded as the most successful coach of the Croatia national team.{{cite web|url=http://novilist.hr/Sport/Vodeni-sportovi/Brojni-poznati-uzvanici-uvelicali-50.-rodendan-naseg-trofejnog-vaterpolskog-izbornika |title=Brojni poznati uzvanici uveličali 50. rođendan našeg trofejnog vaterpolskog izbornika |work=Novi list |date=8 February 2020 |access-date=24 April 2020 |language=hr}}

Playing career

Tucak started his professional playing career with the junior team of his hometown club VK Šibenik, where he stayed until 1989, playing together with the famous Croatian player, Perica Bukić.{{cite web|url=https://hvs.hr/clanovi/ivica-tucak/ |title=Ivica Tucak - Hrvatski vaterpolski savez |publisher=Croatian Water Polo Federation |access-date=8 August 2021 |language=hr}}

In 1989, he signed with Belgrade-based club Crvena zvezda. In 1991, he went to Switzerland and signed for Bissone Lugano. In 1993, he returned to his home–VK Šibenik–and stayed there for two years. Tucak then went to Italy and stayed there for seven years, playing for Talimar Palermo, Como Milano, Snam Milano and Sori. In 2002, he returned to Croatia and played for VK Medveščak until 2004. He finished his career in 2005 at his hometown club VK Šibenik.

During his professional career, he was not a member of the senior Croatia men's national water polo team.

Coaching career

Tucak started his head coaching career at his hometown club VK Šibenik, managing them to reach the LEN Euro Cup final game in the 2006–07 season. In 2009, he became head coach of Montenegrin First League club PVK Jadran, with which he won two Adriatic Leagues and one national league and cup title.

National team coaching career

In 2005, Tucak started to work as 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.

From 2010 until 2011, Tucak worked as assistant to the head coach of the senior Croatia men's team, Ratko Rudić, while in September 2012, he succeeded him.{{cite web|url=https://sport.hrt.hr/180176/tucak-novi-izbornik-vaterpolske-reprezentacije |title=Tucak novi izbornik vaterpolske reprezentacije |publisher=Croatian Radiotelevision |date=16 September 2012 |access-date=24 April 2020 |language=hr}} With Croatia, he won the 2017 World Championship tournament in Hungary. He won another world championship in 2024 in Qatar, and in 2022 he was also the European champion! {{cite web|url=https://sport.hrt.hr/398725/finale-sp-a-hrvatska-maarska-hrt-1-od-2030 |title=Hrvatska svjetski vaterpolski prvak! |publisher=Croatian Radiotelevision |date=29 July 2017 |access-date=25 April 2020 |language=hr}}

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.{{cite web|url=https://studentski.hr/studenti/sport/izbornik-vaterpolo-reprezentacije-bez-pohadanja-kif-a-nemoguce-je-dobro-raditi-ovaj-posao |title=Izbornik vaterpolo reprezentacije: „Bez pohađanja KIF-a nemoguće je dobro raditi ovaj posao” |work=studentski.hr |date=30 May 2021 |access-date=9 August 2021 |language=hr}} In 2010, City of Šibenik awarded Tucak for the best coach in Šibenik in 2009.{{cite web|url=https://www.sibenik.hr/clanci/izabrani-najbolji-u-sibenskom-sportu-za-2009godinu/1028.html |title=Izabrani najbolji u šibenskom sportu za 2009.godinu |publisher=šibenik.hr |date=8 February 2010 |access-date=9 August 2021 |language=hr}}

Tucak, with his wife Marijana, had a daughter Tena who died tragically in June 2005, at the age of 3.{{cite web|url=https://www.index.hr/vijesti/clanak/umrla-djevojcica-na-koju-je-pao-aparat-za-igracke/271100.aspx |title=Umrla djevojčica na koju je pao aparat za igračke |work=Index.hr |date=21 June 2005 |access-date=9 August 2021 |language=hr}}{{cite web|first=Predrag |last=Žukina |url=https://www.jutarnji.hr/life/zivotne-price/ivica-tucak-smrt-moje-kceri-je-samo-moja-tragedija-i-tragedija-moje-supruge-bilo-je-to-najljepse-i-najpametnije-dijete-na-svijetu-6438199 |title=IVICA TUCAK 'Smrt moje kćeri je samo moja tragedija i tragedija moje supruge. Bilo je to najljepše i najpametnije dijete na svijetu' |work=Jutarnji list |date=6 August 2017 |access-date=9 August 2021 |language=hr}}

Tucak is awarded for the best coach in the world by FINA, in December 2017.{{cite web|url=https://www.biografija.com/ivica-tucak/ |title=Ivica Tucak biografija |website=www.biografija.com |access-date=25 June 2017}}