{{short description|Dutch hockey player and coach}} {{family name hatnote|van Ass|Ass|lang=Dutch}} thumb|Paul van Ass, 2012 '''Paul van Ass''' (born 16 August 1960, Bergschenhoek) is a Dutch field hockey coach. After coaching for the Dutch club HGC, he became the coach of the national team, managing them at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the men's tournament. After his contract expired in 2014, he was declared the coach of the Indian team in 2015.
==Career==
===Club career=== In his first major coaching position, head coach of the men's team of HGC, van Ass managed to save the team from degradation and lead them to a championship final in 2007, which was credited to his "opportunistic" style of coaching.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ad.nl/ad/nl/1040/Den-Haag/article/detail/2269506/2007/10/01/Paul-van-Ass-wijzer-na-nederlaag-HGC.dhtml|title=Paul van Ass wijzer na nederlaag HGC|date=1 October 2007|work=Algemeen Dagblad|accessdate=2 August 2012}}</ref> HGC lost that game to HC Bloemendaal. Van Ass's HGC reached the final of the Euro Hockey League 2007–08<ref name=ad2>{{cite news|url=http://www.ad.nl/ad/nl/1001/Sportwereld/article/detail/1924377/2010/06/03/Paul-van-Ass-wil-meer-energie-brengen.dhtml|title=Paul van Ass wil meer energie brengen|date=3 June 2012|work=Algemeen Dagblad|language=Dutch|accessdate=2 August 2012}}</ref> after beating HC Rotterdam in the semi-final, but lost to Uhlenhorster HC in overtime.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraaf.nl/telesport/3972220/_HGC_verliest_finale_EHL__.html|title=HGC verliest finale EHL|date=11 May 2008|work=De Telegraaf|language=Dutch|accessdate=2 August 2012}}</ref>
In the 2008–2009 season, he coached ''Jong Oranje'' (the men's under-21 national team) and was assistant-coach for the Netherlands national field hockey team;<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ad.nl/ad/nl/1001/Sportwereld/article/detail/2082723/2008/09/05/Van-Ass-manager-hockeyers.dhtml|title=Van Ass manager hockeyers|date=5 September 2008|work=Algemeen Dagblad|language=Dutch|accessdate=2 August 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ad.nl/ad/nl/1001/Sportwereld/article/detail/2175071/2008/11/09/De-machine-van-HGC-hapert.dhtml|title=De 'machine' van HGC hapert|date=9 November 2008|work=Algemeen Dagblad|language=Dutch|accessdate=2 August 2012}}</ref> he returned to coach HGC (which had a disappointing season under Alexander Cox<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraaf.nl/telesport/4006286/__Trainer_Van_Ass_terug_bij_HGC__.html|title=Trainer Van Ass terug bij hockeyers HGC|date=26 May 2009|work=De Telegraaf|language=Dutch|accessdate=2 August 2012}}</ref>) for the 2009–2010 season.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ad.nl/ad/nl/1001/Sportwereld/article/detail/2025448/2009/05/25/Cox-weg-bij-HGC-Van-Ass-komt.dhtml|title=Cox weg bij HGC, Van Ass komt|date=25 May 2009|work=Algemeen Dagblad|language=Dutch|accessdate=2 August 2012}}</ref> That team reached the final in the national championship,<ref name=nu1/> losing again to Bloemendaal, and qualified for the Euro Hockey League 2010–11.<ref name=ad2/>
===National team=== Despite having limited international experience, van Ass was appointed coach of the national team in June 2010, after {{ill|Michel van den Heuvel|nl}} was let go.<ref name=nu1/> The appointment came as a surprise:<ref name=ad2/> van Ass got the position in favor of Marc Lammers or another international top coach.<ref name=nu1>{{cite news|url=http://www.nu.nl/sport/2261191/paul-van-ass-nieuwe-bondscoach-hockeyers.html|title=Paul van Ass nieuwe bondscoach hockeyers|date=3 June 2010|work=NU.nl|accessdate=1 August 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraaf.nl/telesport/6855185/__Hockeybond_wil_daadkracht__.html|title=Hockeybond wil daadkracht en gedrevenheid|date=3 June 2010|work=De Telegraaf|language=Dutch|accessdate=2 August 2012}}</ref>
===Olympic selection controversy=== Besides not having a coaching certificate,<ref name=nu2/><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraaf.nl/telesport/columns/televisie/6856293/__TeleVisie__Zwalkend_beleid__.html|title=Zwalkend beleid|last=Jong|first=Mascha de|date=4 June 2012|work=De Telegraaf|language=Dutch|accessdate=3 August 2012}}</ref> van Ass did not select seasoned internationals Taeke Taekema and Teun de Nooijer (nicknamed "T&T"<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ad.nl/ad/nl/1021/Meer-sport/article/detail/3136289/2012/01/24/Van-Ass-in-gesprek-met-T-T.dhtml|title=Van Ass in gesprek met T&T|date=24 January 2012|work=Algemeen Dagblad|language=Dutch|accessdate=2 August 2012}}</ref>), the country's best known hockey players and icons of the sport.<ref name="ad1">{{cite news|url=http://www.ad.nl/ad/nl/1021/Meer-sport/article/detail/3118721/2012/01/12/De-Nooijer-en-Taekema-gaan-gewoon-naar-de-Spelen.dhtml|title='De Nooijer en Taekema gaan gewoon naar de Spelen'|date=12 January 2012|work=Algemeen Dagblad|language=Dutch|accessdate=2 August 2012}}</ref> He cut the two from the national selection in January 2012.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ad.nl/ad/nl/1021/Meer-sport/article/detail/3118083/2012/01/12/Bondscoach-Van-Ass-zet-hockeyiconen-uit-Oranje.dhtml|title=Bondscoach Van Ass zet hockeyiconen uit Oranje|date=12 January 2012|work=Algemeen Dagblad|language=Dutch|accessdate=2 August 2012}}</ref> To justify his choice criticized them in an interview with ''de Volkskrant'' a few days later, for which he was accused of character assassination,<ref name=nu2/> and he later apologized for his words.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nu.nl/sport/2725964/excuus-van-ass-richting-taekema-en-nooijer.html|title=Excuus Van Ass richting Taekema en De Nooijer|date=27 January 2012|work=NU.nl|accessdate=1 August 2012}}</ref> After a public backlash Van Ass apologized to T&T at the end of January<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ad.nl/ad/nl/1021/Meer-sport/article/detail/3141003/2012/01/27/Excuses-bondscoach-Van-Ass-aan-T-T.dhtml|title=Excuses bondscoach Van Ass aan T&T|date=27 January 2012|work=Algemeen Dagblad|language=Dutch|accessdate=2 August 2012}}</ref> and took them back in March, his credibility having suffered greatly,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2012/03/23/hockeyers-de-nooijer-en-taekema-terug-in-oranje/|title=De Nooijer en Taekema terug in Oranje – ‘geloofwaardigheid Van Ass op het spel’|last=Haakman|first=David|date=23 March 2012|work=NRC Handelsblad|language=Dutch|accessdate=1 August 2012}}</ref> but cut them again in July.<ref name=nu2>{{cite news|url=http://www.nusport.nl/hek/2849921/karaktermoord-taekema.html|title=De Karaktermoord op Taekema|last=Hek|first=Rogier van 't|date=3 July 2010|work=NU.nl|accessdate=1 August 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bnr.nl/topic/sport/139223-1207/kritiek-taekema-raakt-van-ass-niet|title=Kritiek Taekema raakt Van Ass niet|last=Haars|first=Anne-Greet|date=9 July 2012|work=BNR Newsradio|language=Dutch|accessdate=1 August 2012}}</ref>
====2012 Olympics==== The Dutch team played their opening game in Group B against India, beating them 3–2,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bnr.nl/topic/olympischespelen/234573-1207/liveblog-hockey-nederland---india|title=Hockeymannen winnen openingsduel van India|last=Haars|first=Anne-Greet|date=31 July 2012|work=BNR Newsradio|language=Dutch|accessdate=1 August 2012}}</ref> and rallied against Belgium in their second match to beat them 3–1, thanks to penalty corner specialist Mink van der Weerden.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.london2012.com/news/articles/netherlands-rally-for-comeback-victory.html|title=Netherlands rally for comeback victory|date=1 August 2012|publisher=London2012.com|accessdate=1 August 2012|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130603042330/http://www.london2012.com/news/articles/netherlands-rally-for-comeback-victory.html|archivedate=3 June 2013}}</ref> The team reached the final by demolishing Great Britain 9–2, but lost to Germany, 2–1.
==References== {{Reflist|2}}
==External links== {{commons category-inline}}
{{Netherlands FH Squad 2012 Summer Olympics}} {{Netherlands FH Squad 2013 EuroHockey}} {{Netherlands FH Squad 2014 World Cup}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ass, Paul van}} Category:1960 births Category:Living people Category:Dutch men's field hockey players Category:Dutch field hockey coaches Category:People from Lansingerland Category:HGC (field hockey) coaches Category:Field hockey players from South Holland Category:Coaches at the 2024 Summer Olympics Category:20th-century Dutch sportsmen