Coaches of the Croatian national teams
The Executive Board of the Croatian Water Polo Federation, at its first meeting immediately after the last General Assembly, appointed coaches for the Croatian
national teams for 2025 in both categories – men's and women's.
Of course, this does not refer to Ivica Tuck, the coach of the men's senior national team, with whom a new contract was signed before the Paris Olympics, until the end of the Olympic cycle which concludes with the Los Angeles Games in 2028.
MEN'S TEAMS
– Zoran Bajić – coach of the youth national team, up to 20 years
Former head coach of Mladost seniors, he achieved the greatest success of Croatian water polo in the younger age groups this calendar year. Bajić coached the under-19 national team to win gold at the European Championship in Burgas in the summer of 2024.
– Hrvoje Koljanin – coach of the junior team up to 18 years
A well-known former national team player, who has been a coach in recent years. Currently coaching the Greek champions, Olympiacos, where he was previously an assistant coach, before becoming the head coach of Vouliagmeni, and in the 2022/23 season, an assistant coach at Jug Adriatic Insurance. Last year, he coached the Croatian under-17 national team.
– Boris Popović – coach of the cadet national team up to 16 years
Another former player, now a coach working with younger age groups at VK Jadran in Split. In the previous season, and calendar year (February 2024), leading Jadran to win the Croatian Nade category championship. In the same category, in August 2024, he also won the national Cup with Jadran.
– Bruno Sabioni – coach of the under-15 national team
For several years, the coach from Šibenik has been with various national teams. In the summer of 2023, he coached the men's under-15 national team at the World Championships in Podgorica, and later that summer, was an assistant to coach Mia Šimunić at the World Championships for girls under-20 in Portugal. Since September 2023, he took over as the coach of the women's senior team, whom he led at the European Championship in Eindhoven, Netherlands, in January 2024. In the 2023/24 season, he coached the Solaris cadets, and this season the younger juniors of the same club.
WOMEN'S TEAMS
Mia Šimunić – coach of the senior and youth national teams up to 20 years
A highly experienced coach in Croatian women's water polo. She has been a part of the senior women's national team setup for a long time, successfully led ŽAVK Mladost, and this year, in August, achieved the biggest success in the history of Croatian women's water polo - a fourth-place finish at the European under-19 Championship in Zagreb.
Zoran Bajić – coach of the junior team up to 18 years
Until the summer of 2024, he worked exclusively with male water polo players until he was appointed as the coach of ŽAVK Mladost. In his very first match coaching a women's team, he won a trophy – the Super Cup!
Hrvoje Kundid – coach of the national team up to 16 years
A young coach from Split, who started his career at Mornar, and after his playing career, devoted himself to working with younger age groups. First at Mornar, then Jadran, and also in France (Reims and Bordeaux), followed by POŠK 1937 where he coached younger age groups. Since March of this year, he has been with Solaris, working once again with younger age groups. In July 2024, he led the Croatian women's under-16 team to compete for a medal, ultimately finishing in 4th place at the World Championship in Manisa, Turkey. Along with the 4th place at the slightly older generation's European Championship in Zagreb, this is the biggest success for Croatian women's water polo.
