Helgi Jóhannsson (23 June 1929 – 4 April 2003) was an Icelandic basketball coach and player.[1] He was one of the main pioneers of modern basketball in Iceland and was a founding member of Íþróttafélag Reykjavíkur's basketball department.[2] As a coach, Helgi won a record 8 men's national championships from 1954 to 1964.[3][4] He played with ÍR in the 1964–65 FIBA European Champions Cup (now called EuroLeague),[5] the first time an Icelandic team competed in a continental competition.[6][7] He was the head coach of the Icelandic men's national basketball team on three occasions, from 1961–1967, in 1970 and in 1978.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1929-06-23)23 June 1929 Kingdom of Iceland |
| Died | 4 April 2003(2003-04-04) (aged 73) Reykjavík, Iceland |
| Nationality | Icelandic |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1951–196? | ÍR |
| As coach: | |
| 1952–196? | ÍR (M) |
| 19??–19?? | ÍR (W) |
| 1961–1967 | Iceland (M) |
| 1970 | Iceland (M) |
| 1978 | Iceland (M) |
| 1992–1993 | ÍR (W) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
As coach:
| |
In 1963 he was the head coach of the first Icelandic junior national basketball team when he coached the Iceland men's national under-18 basketball team during the 1964 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship qualification.[8]
Helgi died on 4 April 2003 after battling cancer.[9]