The Buchbinder Legionaere Regensburg announced on Saturday evening in a press release that they are parting ways with head coach Martin Helmig. The 53-year-old was at the helm in Regensburg since the 2008 season, winning German championships in 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. This season Regensburg was eliminated in the semi-finals.
However the “early” exit in the 2014 season was not cited as reason in the press release. Moreover the club wants to reorganize the coaching staff trying to find a new concept to integrate players of the academy into the Bundesliga team. Nonetheless the Buchbinder Legionaere still want to fight for the championship in the coming years. They hope to introduce the successor and the new structure of the coaching staff in the coming days. A press conference will be held on Monday afternoon. However it is not likely that the new head coach will be announced then.
Prior to joining the Buchbinder Legionaere Helmig coached the Untouchables Paderborn from 1999 to 2007, winning six German Baseball-Bundesliga championships. As a player he played college baseball in the United States, got invitations to Spring Trainings of the Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles and was a player in Italy and in the Netherlands. In Germany as a player he won championships with the Mannheim Amigos and the Trier Cardinals in the 1990ies. Additionally he has been playing and coaching ice hockey during the winter.
Photo by Gregor Eisenhuth