{{short description|Danish handball coach (born 1949)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}} {{Infobox handball biography | name = Torben Winther | fullname = | image = | nationality = Danish | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1949|1|16|df=y}} | birth_place = Holbæk, Denmark | height = | position = | currentclub = | clubnumber = | years1 = 1970–1973 | clubs1 = HK Viben | years2 = 1973–1982 | clubs2 = Helsingør FC

| nationalyears1 = | nationalteam1 = | nationalcaps1 = | nationalgoals1 =

| manageryears1 = 1982–1986 | managerclubs1 = Helsingør FC | manageryears2 = 1986–1989 | managerclubs2 = SAGA/FIF | manageryears3 = 1989–1990 | managerclubs3 = Rødovre HK women | manageryears4 = 1990–1994 | managerclubs4 = Helsingør IF | manageryears5 = 1994–1997 | managerclubs5 = Roar Roskilde | manageryears6 = 1997–2000 | managerclubs6 = Team Helsinge | manageryears7 = 2000–2005 | managerclubs7 = Denmark | manageryears8 = 2005–2006 | managerclubs8 = Nordsjælland Håndbold | manageryears9 = 2006 | managerclubs9 = Holbæk Elitesport | manageryears10 = 2007–2010 | managerclubs10 = Ystads IF | manageryears11 = 2010–2013 | managerclubs11 = HC Kriens-Luzern | medaltemplates = {{MedalCompetition|European Championship}} {{MedalBronze|2002 Sweden|Coach}} {{MedalBronze|2004 Slovenia|Coach}} }} '''Torben Winther''' (born 16 January 1949) is a Danish handball coach, who was the head coach of the Danish national team from 2000 to 2005. He won two European bronze medals with Denmark.

== Coaching career == He started coaching in 1982 at his former club Helsingør FC, where he was until 1986. He then joined SAGA/FIF. In 1989 he became the head coach of Rødovre HK's women's team.<ref name=Jyllandsposten /> In 1994 he joined Roar Roskilde, followed by Team Helsinge from 1997 to 2000.<ref name=Jyllandsposten />

He was then appointed head coach of the Danish national team.<ref name=Jyllandsposten /> At the 2002 European Men's Handball Championship he won bronze medals, losing to Germany in the semifinal and beating Iceland in the third place-playoff.<ref>[http://home.eurohandball.com/ehf_files/specificHBI/ECh_Analyses/2002/swe/3/2/Individual_scouting_report.pdf 2002 European Championship match reports - EHF], read 29 March 2026</ref> This was Denmark's first ever medals at a European Championship and first medals at any tournament since the 1967 World Championship.

At the 2003 World Men's Handball Championship he finished 9th with Denmark. The year after he would repeat his success at the European Championship with another bronze medal at the 2004 European Championship.<ref>[http://home.eurohandball.com/ehf_files/specificHBI/ECh_Analyses/2004/slo/3/2/47%20CRO-DEN.pdf 2004 European Championship bronze playoff Match report - EHF], retrieved 29 March 2026]</ref> He was fired after a disappointing 13th-place finish at the 2005 World Championship and replaced by Ulrik Wilbek.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.berlingske.dk/sport/torben-winther-fyret-0 |title=Torben Winther fyret |first=Carsten |last= Gregersen |publisher=Berlingske |date=12 February 2005 |accessdate=31 May 2023|language=da}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://jyllands-posten.dk/sport/ECE3779301/H%C3%A5ndbold-Ulrik-Wilbek-ny-landstr%C3%A6ner/ |title=Håndbold: Ulrik Wilbek ny landstræner |via=ritzau |publisher=Jyllands-Posten |date=20 February 2005 |accessdate=31 May 2023|language=da}}</ref>

Afterwards he was appointed head coach of the newly created Nordsjælland Håndbold, who played in the Danish 1st Division at the time. He was however fired in 2006 and replaced by his assistant Henrik Kronborg.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nordsjaelland-haandbold.dk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/NHs-Historie-06-20-12.06.24.pdf|publisher=Nordsjælland Håndbold|title=Velkommen til Nordsjælland Håndbold’s Historie|access-date=29 March 2026|editor=Knud Sørensen|pages=6–7|language=da}}</ref>

In 2006 he was the sporting director at Holbæk Elitesport for a single season.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.handball-world.com/o.red.c/news-1-2-12-2280.html |publisher=handball-world.com |title=Winther wird Sportdirektor in Holbaek|date=19 October 2006|access-date=7 May 2014|language=de}}</ref>

From 2007 to 2010 he coached the Swedish club Ystads IF.<ref name=kriens /> He reached the semifinals of the Swedish Championship twice, but would lose of both occasions.<ref name=SF08>{{cite web|title=Handboll 2007/2008 Elitserien semifinal|url=http://www.everysport.com/sport/handboll/2007-2008/elitserien-herr/semifinal/29407|access-date=25 March 2018}}</ref> <ref name=SF10>{{cite web|title=Handboll 2009/2010 Elitserien semifinal|url=http://www.everysport.com/sport/handboll/2009-2010/elitserien-herr/semifinal/40616|access-date=25 March 2018}}</ref>

He then became the head coach of the Swiss club HC Kriens-Luzern.<ref name=kriens /> In 2013 he returned to Denmark to coach the U-18 team of TMS Ringsted.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tms-ringsted.dk/index.php?id=159 |publisher=tms-ringsted.dk |title=Herre U-18|access-date=7 May 2014|language=da}}</ref>

== Playing career == Winther played first for HK Viben from 1970 to 1973 and then for Helsingør FC.<ref name=Jyllandsposten>{{cite web|url=https://jyllands-posten.dk/sport/ECE3274828/H%C3%A5ndbold-Torben-Winther-ny-herre-landstr%C3%A6ner/|publisher=Jyllands-Posten|title=Håndbold: Torben Winther ny herre-landstræner|date=20 September 1999|access-date=29 March 2026|language=da}}</ref> As a player he won both the Danish Championship and Danish Cup.<ref name=kriens>{{cite web|url=http://www.handball-world.com/o.red.c/news-1-1-20-24798.html |publisher=handball-world.com|title=Torben Winther wird neuer Chefcoach in Kriens-Luzern|date=19 March 2010|access-date=7 May 2014|language=de}}</ref> He also finished fourth in the Danish league 4 times with Helsingør.<ref name=Jyllandsposten /> He played a few matches for the Danish youth teams, but never obtained a cap for the Danish national team.<ref name=Jyllandsposten />

== Private == He is educated as a teacher.<ref name=Jyllandsposten />

== References == {{reflist}}

{{Danish handball national team coaches}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Winther, Torben}} Category:1949 births Category:Living people Category:Danish male handball players Category:Danish handball coaches Category:Expatriate handball coaches Category:Danish expatriate sportspeople in Sweden Category:Danish expatriate sportspeople in Switzerland Category:Handball coaches of international teams Category:Sportspeople from Holbæk Municipality Category:Handball players from Region Zealand