In the 2025/26 Olympic season, Stefan Horngacher will wave the German ski jumpers towards the jump table, then the Austrian will stop as national coach at the DSV. While summer GP triumphant Philipp Raimund was “shocked”, veteran Karl Geiger had an inkling that the Horngacher era was ending for the DSV Eagles.
The Olympic Winter hasn’t even started yet, and Stefan Horngacher has already given the DSV a real task for the coming months. Horngacher – national ski jumping coach since 2019 – will resign from his position in March after the end of the season.
DSV sports director Horst Hüttel now has to find a successor for the successful Austrian. The candidates are Thomas Thurnbichler (looks after the B squad) and Ronny Hornschuh (looks after the C squad).
But nothing is concrete yet. “We haven’t looked into it in depth yet,” admitted Hüttel on the sidelines of a PR meeting in Nuremberg.
Video: What the ski jumping revolution means
The German jumpers made Horngacher’s decision. Summer GP winner Philipp Raimund said he was “shocked for a moment”.
Karl Geiger expressed understanding for Horngacher. “When you’re a national coach for so many years, you have to be 120 percent behind it – that takes a lot of energy,” said Geiger, who won gold at the 2020 Ski Flying World Championships in Planica under Horngacher, among other things.
Horngacher “also justified the points for us”
The 56-year-old’s decision didn’t come as a complete surprise, the Bavarian continued: “It was the case that he told us that he was still planning on this Olympic cycle and left it open after that. He also explained the points to us. But it’s a real shame, he’s an excellent coach and I had many good years with him.”
Horngacher has been national coach at DSV since 2019, when he succeeded his compatriot Werner Schuster.
The highlights of Horngacher’s tenure so far have been the team gold at the 2021 home World Championships in Oberstdorf and Karl Geiger’s individual title at the 2020 Ski Flying World Championships in Planica.
The German ski jumpers have not yet achieved the hoped-for victory in the Four Hills Tournament, even under Horngacher.
The Black Forest native (lives in Titisee-Neustadt) was the Polish head coach before moving to the DSV and was a world champion himself as a jumper.