Den Bosch coach Raoul Ehren has been promoted to national coach of the Belgian women’s team, taking over from fellow Dutchman Niels Thijssen, who announced he will step down from the role this week. 

Ehren had been acting as Thijssen’s assistant and so will now lead the Red Panthers up to and including the European Championship in June 2021 in Amstelveen. Longer term options will be discussed in the coming months. 

“I am really looking forward to the challenge of preparing the team for the European Championship,” Ehren said. “I enjoyed my time with the Red Panthers last year and I have a lot of confidence in the players. I am sure they are ready to take the next step towards consistently winning medals at a European and world level event. ”  

Adam Commens, High Performance Director of the KBHB, added: “Raoul’s evolution from assistant coach to head coach once again demonstrates our philosophy of continuity, which we always try to achieve for our national teams. This formula has proven its effectiveness for us several times. ” 

Ehren is one of the most successful trainers ever in Dutch women’s hockey. He has won the national title eight times with Den Bosch in the past ten seasons and his team is, again, in the lead this season while they also have a Euro Hockey League Women’s FINAL8 on the agenda next Easter.

He joined the staff of the Red Panthers just before the European Championship 2019 in Antwerp and has since built a strong relationship with the team. 

“Raoul is an excellent coach, with a proven track record at the highest level in the Netherlands. In addition, he has shown international success with the Dutch junior women’s team. We are delighted to hire a coach of his profile for the Red Panthers and look forward to the team’s progress over the coming period.” Commens concluded.