Lajos Mocsai

{{Short description|Hungarian handball player and coach (born 1954)}}

{{Infobox handball biography

| name = Lajos Mocsai

| image = Lajos Mocsai 01.jpg

| nationality = Hungarian

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1954|3|10|df=y}}

| birth_place = Szeged, Hungary

| height = {{height|m=1.86}}

| weight =

| position =

| nickname =

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| years1 = 1968–1973

| clubs1 = Tisza Volán SC

| years2 = 1973–1978

| clubs2 = Testnevelési Főiskola SE

| years3 = 1978–1979

| clubs3 = Vasas SC

| years4 = 1979–1981

| clubs4 = Budapest Spartacus SC

| nationalyears1 = 1974–1982

| nationalteam1 = Hungary

| nationalcaps1 = 20

| nationalgoals1 =

| manageryears1 = 1978–1980

| managerclubs1 = Testnevelési Főiskola SE – M

| manageryears2 = 1980–1981

| managerclubs2 = Testnevelési Főiskola SE – W

| manageryears3 = 1981–1983

| managerclubs3 = Vasas SC

| manageryears4 = 1983–1985

| managerclubs4 = Budapest Honvéd SE

| manageryears5 = 1985–1989

| managerclubs5 = Hungary Men

| manageryears6 = 1989–1996

| managerclubs6 = TBV Lemgo

| manageryears7 = 1997–1998

| managerclubs7 = TuS Nettelstedt-Lübbecke

| manageryears8 = 1998–2004

| managerclubs8 = Hungary Women

| manageryears9 = 2005

| managerclubs9 = VfL Gummersbach

| manageryears10 = 2005–2007

| managerclubs10 = Vasas SC

| manageryears11 = 2007–2012

| managerclubs11 = MKB Veszprém KC

| manageryears12 = 2010–2014

| managerclubs12 = Hungary Men

}}

Lajos Mocsai ({{IPA|hu|ˈlɒjoʃ ˈmot͡ʃɒi|lang}}; born 10 March 1954) is a former Hungarian international handball player, coach, university professor and sports director.

Mocsai worked as the head coach of MKB Veszprém KC since his appointment in 2007,{{cite web |url=http://www.fn.hu/csapatsport/20070526/mocsai_lajos_lett_veszprem/|title= Mocsai Lajos lett a Veszprém edzője |publisher=fn.hu|date=26 May 2007|accessdate=9 March 2011|language=Hungarian}} and beside his club team duties, he also served as the technical director of the Hungarian men's national team from February 2010,{{cite web |url=http://www.veszpremhandball.hu/index.php?pg=news&id=220|title=Mocsai Lajos a válogatott szakmai igazgatója!|publisher=veszpremhandball.hu |date=24 February 2010| accessdate=9 March 2011 |language=Hungarian}} before taking over the head coach position from István Csoknyai. In the summer of 2012 Mocsai resigned from the coaching position of Veszprém to fully concentrate on his work by the national team.{{cite web|url=http://www.origo.hu/sport/kezilabda/20120426-mocsai-tavozik-veszprembol.html|title=Mocsai távozik Veszprémből|trans-title=Mocsai leaves Veszprém|publisher=Origo|date=26 April 2012|accessdate=27 November 2012|language=Hungarian}} Two years later he resigned from the national team as well, to make himself clear for the rector position of the {{ill|University of Physical Education|eo|Gimnastika Universitato de Budapeŝto|hu|Testnevelési Egyetem}} in Budapest.{{cite web|url=http://www.nemzetisport.hu/kezilabda/kezi-orommel-vallalnam-mocsaibol-rektor-lehet-2344607|title=Kézi: Örömmel vállalnám - Mocsaiból rektor lehet|publisher=Nemzeti Sport|date=22 June 2014|accessdate=13 October 2014|language=Hungarian}}

Career

One of the most successful managers in Europe, Mocsai has won several continental club competition trophies, led the Hungarian women's national team to European Championship title and won silver both on the World Championship and the Olympic Games with the same team. In addition, he also captured a World Championship silver with the Hungarian men's national team in 1986.

Two of the players who were trained by him, namely Daniel Stephan and Bojana Radulovics were given the IHF World Player of the Year award.{{cite web|url=http://tf.hu/hallgatoink/intezetek-tanszekek/sportjatek-tanszek/oneletrajzok/mocsai-lajos/|title=CV of Lajos Mocsai on the official website of the Semmelweis University Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences|publisher=Semmelweis University|accessdate=9 March 2011|language=Hungarian}}

Mocsai also has been honoured many times, from which the most valuable is probably the Life Achievement Award, which he received on the ten years jubilee of the European Handball Federation in 2002. The prestigious prize is adjudged by strict criteria and was awarded only to four coaches in Europe.

In 2011 TBV Lemgo celebrated its 100th anniversary and on this occasion the club honoured the greatest individuals who served the club. Mocsai was given the Head Coach of the Century (Jahrhunderttrainer) title for his hard to work with that he built up professional handball in Lemgo.{{cite web|url=http://www.handballwoche.de/artikel/bundesliga/news/kann-mir-vorstellen-noch-einmal-zurueckzukommen/|title=Interview mit Lajos Mocsai, Jahrhunderttrainer des TBV Lemgo|publisher=Handballwoche.de|date=16 August 2011|accessdate=31 August 2011|language=German}}

Personal

He is married. He has four children: three daughters and a son. One of the daughters, Dorottya, and his son Tamás are both professional handball players.

Coaching achievements

=Club=

Nemzeti Bajokság I – women:
Winner: 1982
Magyar Kupa – women:
Winner: 1982
Nemzeti Bajokság I – men:
Winner: 1983, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
Magyar Kupa – men:
Winner: 1983, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
DHB-Pokal – men:
Winner: 1995
EHF Champions League – women:
Winner: 1982
EHF Cup Winners' Cup – men:
Winner: 1996, 2008
EHF Cup – men:
Winner: 1998

=National team=

Olympic Games – women's tournament:
Silver Medalist: 2000
Fifth Placed: 2004
Olympic Games – men's tournament:
Fourth Placed: 1988
Fourth Placed: 2012
World Championship – women's tournament:
Silver Medalist: 2003
Fifth Placed: 1999
Sixth Placed: 2001
World Championship – men's tournament:
Silver Medalist: 1986
European Championship – women's tournament:
Winner: 2000
Bronze Medalist: 1998
Fifth Placed: 2002

Individual awards and recognitions

Knight's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary (2000)
Lifetime Achievement Award of the European Handball Federation (2002)
Endre Kerezsi Award (2003)
Hungarian Coach of the Year (2009)
Fair Play Award for the propagation of sportsmanship – Hungarian Olympic Committee (2011)
Head Coach of the Century of TBV Lemgo (2011)
Hungarian Handball Coach of the Year (2012){{cite web|url=http://www.nemzetisport.hu/kezilabda/tomori-es-csaszar-megvalasztottak-az-ev-legjobbjait-2195097|title=Tomori és Császár - megválasztották az év legjobbjait|publisher=Nemzeti Sport|date=27 November 2012|accessdate=27 November 2012|language=Hungarian}}