Former Kookaburras captain and Olympic bronze medallist, Mark Hager has today been announced as the new coach of the national men’s hockey team, the Kookaburras, and will lead the side to the LA 2028 Olympic Games and beyond.
The Kookaburras head coach position is the latest in Hager’s outstanding coaching career, which has spanned 13 years and included a bronze medal as the Coach of the Great Britain women’s team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Returning to Australia three years ago, Hager has since been the driving force behind Hockey Australia’s National Athlete Pathway Program as the Technical Lead. In the role, Hager has worked alongside fellow Kookaburras’ great, Mark Knowles, in overseeing the development of Australian hockey talent and ensuring success on the world stage.
“Coaching the Kookaburras has been an aspiration of mine ever since I got into coaching,” Hager said.
“Having started out as an Australian National Junior Coach, working alongside the likes of former Kookaburras’ coaches, Barry Dancer and Colin Batch, has encouraged me to want to go even further in my coaching career.
“You always aspire to coach your home country. Having been a Kookaburra myself, and having had the experience of coaching overseas, I feel now is the right time to step into this role.”
Following his time as the Australian National Junior Coach, Hager became the Head Coach of the New Zealand Black Sticks Women, rebuilding the side after their last-place finish at the Olympics in 2008 and leading them to two consecutive fourth-place finishes at the Olympic Games in 2012 and 2016.
“Mark has significant experience as a head coach and significant experience at developing a younger group through an Olympic cycle to deliver at the Olympic Games,” Hockey Australia High Performance Director, Bernard Savage said.
“He’s demonstrated technically, tactically and culturally with New Zealand and Great Britain and has a sound understanding of our strengths and challenges, having been embedded in our pathways system for the last three years. We’re confident having this experience in the head coach role is going to be really powerful.”
Hockey Australia CEO, David Pryles echoed Savage’s thoughts that Hager is the right fit to build on the Kookaburras’ success on the pathway to the LA Olympic Games in 2028.
“This is a really exciting new era for the Kookaburras. It’s our chance to refresh, reset and turn our attention to focusing on medalling in LA 2028.
“Mark brings with him the rich legacy of the Kookaburras, having been a captain of the side who achieved success in Atlanta in 1996, so we are excited to see what he can do with this group.”
“The goal is always to win medals,” Hager added.
“Over the next three and a half years leading into the Olympics, we have to be well prepared. We need to create depth, and we need to turn up with a really competitive group who truly believe they can win a medal.
“I get very excited about the history and rich legacy of the Kookas and knowing what it means to be a Kooka, having been there and experienced it myself. I’m just really excited to be a part of it again.”
MARK HAGER’S COACHING CAREER
Head Coach – Great Britain Women
2020 Tokyo Olympics – bronze medal
Head Coach – New Zealand Black Sticks Women
2018 Commonwealth Games – gold medal
2012 & 2016 – Olympic Games – Fourth x2
Head Coach – Australian U21 Men’s
2009 8 Nations – gold medal
2007 Youth Olympics – gold medal
2005 U21 World Cup – silver medal
Assistant Coach – Hockeyroos
2004 Athens Olympics – 5th
2003 Champions Trophy – gold
2002 Champions Trophy – 4th
2001 Champions Trophy – bronze
Head Coach – Australian U21 Women’s
U21 World Cup – bronze
MARK HAGER’S PLAYING CAREER
Two-time Olympian: Seoul 1988, Atlanta 1996
Olympic bronze medallist: Atlanta 1996
Kookaburras Captain: 231 appearances for Australia
