Nedzad-Osmankac
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Nedžad Osmankač is one of the rare coaches in Serbia who possesses Ph.D. in volleyball and who has passed FIVB Coaches Course Level III. He started his coaching career as a statistician in Vojvodina in 1992 and spent the next 8 years in the club. After that, he worked as an assistant to the Serbian coaching legend Zoran Gajić for 10 years: 2 years in Greece, 2 years in Turkey, and 6 years in Russia. He speaks fluid English and Russian and speaks Greek and Turkish well.
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Which things were crucial to the success of Vojvodina in the playoff finals?
„It was a hellish series, the final worth Serbian Superliga. I think that our bigger roster made the difference as we had 12 players ready to help in every game. Sukhinin was a key factor for us in Game 1, which was our most effective win against Novi Pazar in the season. In Game 2, when he couldn’t play at the same level, Vučićević was the one to lead us. As for Game 3, I think that we went to play there with a bit arrogant attitude and we were grounded. We prepared ourselves well for Game 4, we were ready for a tough fight. And it was a tough fight. Kujundžić was an X-factor for us in this game. He speeded up the play of our team. He was a tactical surprise in the sense that Novi Pazar did not have enough time to prepare themselves for him. I am very proud of how we played Game 4. It was our best match that we played outside Novi Sad in the season.“
Why did you part ways with Vojvodina?
„Our paths and plans have simply split up. They wanted to go in one direction and I wanted to go in the other. Recall that, in his time, Slobodan Kovač coached Radnički (Kragujevac) for two seasons, won the championship title as well, and went abroad. He made big things in his career…“
What are your plans after leaving Vojvodina?
„My plans will continue in three directions. First, the national team. We will do our best to play well in the Nations League and then in the World Championship. Second, my personal improvement. After spending two years as a coach in Vojvodina, I realized which are the things I need to work on harder and improve. So, I will go to visit my friends who coach and play in Italy, Russia, Poland, and Turkey. And third, I will go to the United States in December, to visit the Convention in Minneapolis organized by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. It’s the annual event, a volleyball clinic, which enables coaches to learn many new things.“
What are your plans after the 2018 FIVB World Championship?
„My plans will be related to the situation in the volleyball transfer market. I will look for common visions with foreign clubs. At the moment, there are some talks with interested clubs, information comes from many different sides. So, I might give up on all other plans in case I receive some good offer.“
What does it look like to be an assistant to a volleyball legend such as Nikola Grbić and how much have you learned while working with him?
„This is my fourth season with him, which means since he was appointed a head coach. Working with Nikola is fantastic. Every day, he demands something new and aims for something new. You need to prove yourself every day over and over again. While working with him, I discovered a lot of new aspects when it comes to coaching.“
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