Helgi Jónas Guðfinnsson

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Helgi Jónas Guðfinnsson
Álftanes
PositionAssistant coach
League
RB Antwerpen
2000–2001Ieper
2001–2006Grindavík
2008–2009Grindavík
2010–2011Grindavík
2011ÍG
As coach:
2010–2012Grindavík
2014Keflavík
2019–2020Grindavík (assistant)
2023–presentÁlftanes (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
As player:

As coach:

Helgi Jónas Guðfinnsson (born 18 April 1976) is an Icelandic

Úrvalsdeild Domestic Player of the Year and once the Icelandic Basketball Men's Player of the Year
. After his playing career came to an end, Helgi went into coaching and led Grindavík to the Icelandic Cup in 2011 and the national championship in 2012.

Early life

Helgi Jónas grew up

Neskaupsstaður where he trained skiing and football in his youth. At the age of 11, he moved with his family to Grindavík where he started playing basketball.[1]

Basketball

Playing career

After playing for

RB Antwerpen and Ieper for the next three seasons. He returned to Grindavík in 2001 and average 21.1 points in his first season back. For the 2002–03 season, he was named the Úrvalsdeild Domestic Player of the Year again after averaging 18.9 points per game.[1]

After retiring in 2006, he returned during the 2008–09 season and helped Grindavík to the Úrvalsdeild finals where the team lost against KR 3–2. While serving as the head coach of Grindavík, Helgi appeared in a few games during the 2010–11 season due to injuries on the roster.[1]

He last played for ÍG in 2011 in the second-tier 1. deild karla, appearing two games where he averaged 31.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists.

National team career

From 1995 to 2001, Helgi played 63 games for the Icelandic national basketball team.[2]

Coaching career

In April 2010, Helgi signed a three-year contract with Grindavík. He was voted the Úrvalsdeild coach of the year in 2012[3] after he led Grindavík to the Icelandic championship.[4] After the season, he resigned from his post.[5]

In April 2014, he signed a two-year contract as the head coach of rival Úrvalsdeild club Keflavík.[6] In November the same year, he was forced to step down as head coach due to heart problems.[7][8]

In May 2019, Helgi returned to coaching when he was hired as an assistant coach to Daníel Guðni Guðmundsson in Grindavík.[9]

In August 2023, Helgi was hired as an assistant coach with Álftanes.[10]

Football

From 2002 to 2003, Helgi played nine games in the Icelandic

top-tier football league as well as appear in one cup game for Grindavík's football team.[11][12] He played as a forward.[13]

Personal life

Helgi's son is basketball player Arnór Tristan Helgason.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Sigurbjörn Daði Dagbjartsson (10 December 2023). "Úr atvinnumennsku í körfubolta inn á knattspyrnuvöllinn". Víkurfréttir (in Icelandic). Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  2. ^ "KKÍ | A landslið". kki.is. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  3. ^ Express League: Season 2011-2012 Awards
  4. ^ Jónsson, Óskar Ófeigur (9 May 2012). "Helgi Jónas hættur með Grindavík". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 25 September 2017.
  5. ^ Óskar Ófeigur Jónsson (9 May 2012). "Helgi Jónas hættur með Grindavík". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  6. ^ Skúli Sigurðsson (15 April 2014). "Helgi Jónas þjálfar Keflvíkinga". Karfan.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  7. ^ Gunnarsson, Henry Birgir (17 November 2014). "Helgi glímir við hjartsláttartruflanir - Gæti hætt þjálfun hjá Keflavík". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 25 September 2017.
  8. ^ Gunnarsson, Henry Birgir (27 November 2014). "Helgi Jónas hættur - Þarf að endurskoða líf mitt". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 25 September 2017.
  9. ^ "Helgi Jónas ráðinn til Grindavíkur". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 15 May 2019. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  10. ^ Hjörtur Leó Guðjónsson (29 August 2023). "Álftnesingar sækja fyrrverandi landsliðsmann í þjálfarateymið". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  11. ^ "Félagsmaður - Helgi Jónas Guðfinnsson". KSI.is (in Icelandic). Football Association of Iceland. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
  12. ^ Björnsson, Jóhann Skúli (2 July 2015). "Körfuboltamaður íhugaði sjálfsvíg: "Vanlíðan jókst eftir hvern einasta leik"" [Basketball player considered suicide: "The discomfort increased after each game"]. DV (in Icelandic). Archived from the original on 26 September 2017. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  13. ^ Helgi Jónas Guðfinnsson at WorldFootball.net

External links