Theodoros Dedes is a Greek football coach with a reputation for leading with clarity, tactical discipline, and long-term team development. Born on February 17, 1990, in Athens, he has built his coaching career across both women’s and men’s football in Germany. In 2024, he was appointed head coach of the Frauen-Bundesliga team at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, returning to women’s football after two seasons as assistant coach in the German 3. Liga. His coaching journey reflects adaptability, strong communication, and a player-first philosophy shaped by years of experience at multiple competitive levels.
Early Career and Playing Background
Dedes began his football journey in Germany at Lüneburger SK while studying abroad, and continued his playing career as a central midfielder at 1. FC Ohmstede, during his university studies in Sport and German Studies at the University of Oldenburg. He later played for SV Achternmeer in Lower Saxony. His transition into coaching was driven by a deep interest in tactical systems and team structure.
Coaching Roles and Development Path
Before joining SV Meppen, Dedes gained broad experience in coaching across nearly all youth levels. He worked with boys’ teams at U17, U19, and U21 levels, contributed to talent development at the U13 regional training centers (Stützpunkt), served as a C-license instructor, and held an academic position at the University of Oldenburg.
In 2018, he joined SV Meppen’s women’s department, initially coaching the U17 side. He was promoted to head coach of the first team for the 2019–20 season. Over three years, he led the club through two promotions to the Frauen-Bundesliga and managed a relegation, gaining valuable experience in squad management, performance under pressure, and youth integration.
In the summer of 2022, Dedes moved into men’s professional football, becoming assistant coach at SV Waldhof Mannheim in Germany’s 3. Liga. There, he worked under head coaches Christian Neidhart and Rüdiger Rehm, contributing to match preparation, training organization, and tactical planning in a high-intensity, results-driven environment.
Return to Women’s Football and Hoffenheim Appointment
In 2024, Dedes returned to the Frauen-Bundesliga as head coach of TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, taking over from Stephan Lerch. His return marked a strategic decision by Hoffenheim to invest in modern, development-oriented coaching leadership. Dedes began his UEFA Pro Licence training in January 2025, reinforcing his commitment to continuous professional development and top-level coaching standards.
Coaching Style and Vision
Dedes is known for his structured, process-oriented coaching style. He prioritizes team cohesion, tactical flexibility, and clear communication with players and staff. His coaching approach blends tactical realism with an emphasis on developing individual player potential, particularly among younger talents. Dedes sees the coach’s role as both a strategist and a mentor, focusing on building resilient, intelligent teams capable of long-term growth.
Our Exclusive Interview with Theodoros Dedes
Who is Theodoros Dedes outside of football?
Outside of football, even though there’s not much time outside of football, I spend as much time as possible with friends and especially with family, particularly when I’m in Greece. I really enjoy traveling in my free time, both within Greece and abroad, where I also love taking my camera with me and photographing, with culture and history being very important factors. And yes, speaking of culture, football is also a topic again. I also like watching matches abroad, visiting stadiums, or watching the occasional documentary when I have time, ones that still revolve around football.
What philosophies guide your leadership and coaching approach, both in women’s and men’s football?
My philosophy when it comes to leadership is fundamentally based on a high-performance culture, which can only be achieved, especially in team sports, through teamwork. So, a lot of it is about the cohesion and unity of a team, and on the other hand, about creating a sense of well-being among players. If someone feels comfortable and important, regardless of their role, I believe they can develop to their full potential and use their strengths to help the team. That’s why I aim to create an environment in which as many players and staff as possible, ideally everyone, feel fulfilled, while always keeping the team goal in focus, so that team development can take place.
In addition, in response to the second question about leadership philosophy: over the years, I’ve really tried to establish open communication and feedback within my teams. I like to work on many things together with the players. Of course, there are training regulations and guidelines, but much of it develops in a way that creates the feeling of “we are shaping something together,” where the players are actively involved.
How did your experience in both Bundesliga promotions and relegation with SV Meppen shape your perspective as a coach?
The experience of relegation and then the direct promotion back up, especially as champions, was one of the most valuable in my career so far. In the first league, we had to focus a lot on the topic of resilience due to the limited resources of SV Meppen compared to the big, established professional clubs. How to deal with that and still lead a team with energy, even when you lose match after match, despite often performing at eye level, was definitely a huge learning experience. I took that with me into the following season, where we managed to maintain consistency with the team, finishing in first place from the first to the last matchday.
We learned that it’s worth staying consistent, always aiming to win every moment, whether it’s in training, small personal victories, or individual development, rather than focusing solely on the final result. That’s why those two seasons were extremely important for my development as a coach, to learn that things don’t always go the way you want, but that it’s important to keep going, keep working, keep developing, and not be swayed by short-term success or failure.
What influence did your time in men’s football at SV Waldhof Mannheim have on your tactical thinking and team management?
My experience at Waldhof Mannheim was, of course, my first in a fully professional environment. Through that, I gained some very important insights into how a head coach manages certain things, by observing and interacting with my head coaches. For example, how players’ motivations change, how to still achieve peak performance across 38 matches plus cup games, what motivates and what demotivates, and what might be too much.
So the dosage of information, of emotions, and so on became very important. On the other hand, there was the tactical side. It’s a league with a wide range of playing philosophies, teams that focus solely on results, teams that take a very physical approach, and on the other hand, teams that played very good football. From those, you can take inspiration but also need to develop your own ideas to find solutions against them.
That’s why I found this season at SV Waldhof very cool and very instructive, especially since I was responsible for match plan development. I had to constantly reinvent myself and learn or adapt new things so we could put something good on the pitch.
What does a typical workday look like for you as head coach of TSG Hoffenheim’s women’s team?
A typical day at TSG is very easy to describe. I’m usually in the office at 8 a.m. That’s when we meet with our coaching staff for our meeting, where we finalize the training plans, defining the specific contents of the session and who will be responsible for which parts.
Before training, there’s usually also a video analysis, which we review and present to the team, either as a review of a past match or to prepare for the upcoming opponent.
Then we have the training session. After training, we debrief briefly, talking about how the session went and looking ahead to the next day’s session.
There are various meetings throughout the day, sometimes with the staff, like the psychologist, or when we need to prepare set pieces for the upcoming match, or with the sporting director or players for individual talks.
A big part of my role is trying to stay in communication with the players, emphasis on “trying,” because it’s not always possible.
And then it’s usually around 7 or 8 p.m. when I head home, often with some clips or matches I’ve gathered for individual analysis or for studying the next opponent, to get a good feeling for what we’re up against at the weekend.
What is next for you in your professional development, and what do you hope to achieve with Hoffenheim in the coming seasons?
My goals are essentially twofold. On one hand, I want to complete the Pro License course by January. That’s when the course ends, and I’m very happy to (hopefully) reach the highest level of my coaching education.
On the other hand, with TSG, the goal is to continue developing the team, and to maintain the level of consistency we showed in the second half of this season.
We also want to keep helping talents grow, and ideally retain them at the club long term, but even if not, to prepare them for their next step. The aim is to stabilize and solidify everything we’ve established this season: a new culture, a new playing identity and philosophy.
So now it’s really about cementing ourselves with TSG, continuing to refine things, and also smoothly integrating new talents into our environment.