Honor in Burgenland

Kühbauer: “It was all that mineral water…”

Burgenland’s Coach of the Year Didi Kühbauer (center) with Burgenland Tourism Director Didi Tunkel and sponsor Christian Kamper(Bild: Bgld. Landesmedienservice Hafner Gregor)

Only his physical condition wasn’t quite up to par—“that’s due to all the mineral water,” Didi Kühbauer chuckled. The newly crowned double-winning coach made an appearance on Monday evening, following the celebrations with LASK, at the Gala Night of Sports in Burgenland. And was honored.

Visually, he looked as if nothing had happened. Dapper as ever, dressed in fine attire, accompanied by his wife and daughter, he arrived as the star of the evening. “Yesterday looked a little different,” Kühbauer said with a wink. Didi Kühbauer was honored as Burgenland’s Coach of the Year on Monday evening at the Vila Vita in Pamhagen. For 2025, mind you. Because that’s when, as WAC coach, he had clinched the cup title (and nearly the league title as well).

Beyond the pain threshold
The number one topic of conversation on stage and in the audience, of course, was his incredible achievement with LASK. Rumors had been swirling for a long time. Would he come, or not? Were the championship celebrations in Linz perhaps too exhausting and too much? Not at all! Don Didi showed up in full force. And admitted candidly on stage: “You have to celebrate a triumph this big. I admit that I went beyond the pain threshold.” He announced that he’d let loose with his friends one more time. He deserves it. It’s quite possible that with the double under his belt, Kühbauer won’t be entirely out of the running for Burgenland’s Coach of the Year next year either...

Visually superior?
Incidentally, his competitors for the 2025 award were Austria coach Stephan Helm, also from Burgenland, and basketball coach Felix Jambor of the BBC Nord Dragonz. “You two would have deserved the title just as much as I did,” Didi whispered to them from the stage. Why did the award ultimately go to him? “Maybe I look a little better than you guys.” The next laugh was guaranteed for the double-winning coach.

In addition to Kühbauer, the following were honored on Monday evening:

-) Artistic gymnast Charlize Mörz as Female Athlete of the Year
-) Track and field athlete Raphael Pallitsch as Athlete of the Year
-) The Oberwart Gunners as Team of the Year
-) Swimmer Christian Giefing as Rising Star of the Year
-) Michael Streicher received the Special Olympics Burgenland Award
-) Georg Tischler received the “Governor’s Honorary Award”