Quick Facts
Biography
Marinus Dijkhuizen (born 4 January 1972, in 's-Gravenzande) is a Dutch football manager, coach and former player, most recently manager of NAC Breda. As a player he had notable spells in his native Netherlands with S.B.V. Excelsior, SC Cambuur and TOP Oss. He retired in 2009 and entered management, eventually returning to S.B.V. Excelsior as manager in 2014.
Playing career
A striker, Dijkhuizen spent the majority of his 14-year professional career in the top two divisions of Dutch football, most notably with two spells at both S.B.V. Excelsior and SC Cambuur. He was a part of the SC Cambuur team which secured promotion to the Eredivisie in the 1997–98 season and later played top-flight football with FC Utrecht. He had a loan spell with Scottish Premier League side Dunfermline Athletic during the 2000–01 season. He retired at the end of the 2008–09 season after a player-coach spell at hometown club 's-Gravenzande SC.
Coaching career
's-Gravenzandse SV
In 2008, Dijkhuizen took up a coaching role at Eerste Klasse side 's-Gravenzandse SV, the club where he began his career. He left the club in 2009.
FC Utrecht
During the 2012–13 Eredivisie season, Dijkhuizen worked as a striker coach at former side FC Utrecht.
Managerial career
VV Montfoort
Dijkhuizen began his managerial career with Eerste Klasse Saturday club VV Montfoort in 2009. He led the side to two successive promotions in the 2009–10 and 2010–11 seasons, taking the club to the Topklasse. He departed at the end of the 2011–12 season.
VV De Meern
Dijkhuizen signed a two-year contract with Derde Klasse Sunday side VV De Meern in January 2012. After officially starting work on 1 July 2012, he managed the club until December 2013.
S.B.V. Excelsior
On January 1, 2014, Dijkhuizen was announced as manager of Eerste Divisie side S.B.V. Excelsior on a deal running until the end of the 2013–14 season. He took over from Jon Dahl Tomasson, who had departed for Eredivisie side Roda JC Kerkrade. Starting out in seventh position in the table, Dijkhuizen encouraged the side to be more attacking and pushed striker Lars Veldwijk further forward. Veldwijk's 17 goals since the Dijkhuizen's arrival helped fire the Kralingers to third-place in the table and promotion to the Eredivisie, after a 4–2 aggregate victory over RKC Waalwijk in the playoffs. The club endured a difficult 2014–15 season in the top-flight, finishing one place above the relegation zone, though a new defensive style contributed to 14 draws, the most in the division. Dijkhuizen departed the club in May 2015, despite having signed a new two-year contract in December 2014.
Brentford
On 1 June 2015, Dijkhuizen was announced as head coach of English Championship side Brentford, replacing Mark Warburton. He installed former SC Cambuur teammate Roy Hendriksen as his assistant. Dijkhuizen had a difficult first week of the 2015–16 season, beginning the campaign with a crippling lack of players and disharmony amongst the club's supporters. In addition to Sam Saunders and long-term absentees Lewis Macleod and Scott Hogan, Marcos Tébar and new signing Josh McEachran suffered injuries in pre-season and Jonathan Douglas, Stuart Dallas and Moses Odubajo departed the club in the lead up to the opening day fixture versus Ipswich Town. Jota damaged ankle ligaments in the 2–2 draw with Ipswich on an unsatisfactory Griffin Park pitch and three days later new club-record signing Andreas Bjelland was ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering a knee ligament injury in a 4–0 League Cup first round defeat to Oxford United, with Nico Yennaris also succumbing to injury in the match, again played on the bad pitch.
A bad first week of the season ended on a bright note with a 4–2 victory over Bristol City at Ashton Gate on 15 August. The player shortage was compounded by the departure of striker Andre Gray to Burnley for a club-record fee on 21 August, with Brentford being defeated 1–0 at Turf Moor the following day. A run of three defeats in four games ended with Dijkhuizen's first home victory of the season on 19 September, but defeat to Sheffield Wednesday a week later dropped the Bees to 19th in the table. On 28 September 2015, Dijkhuizen and Hendriksen parted company with Brentford after only 9 games in charge. He won two matches, drew two and lost five. Brentford co-director of football Rasmus Ankersen later revealed that the club "made a mistake" in hiring Dijkhuizen and that the decision to part company "was based on three months of training and there were some fundamental processes, in terms of getting a full football operation to work to its maximum, that weren't at the level we wanted them to be".
NAC Breda
On 26 October 2015, Dijkhuizen was announced as head coach of Eerste Divisie side NAC Breda. He guided the club to the third round of the promotion/relegation playoffs, but lost over two legs to the promoted side Willem II. With the club struggling to compete after 18 matches of the 2016–17 season, Dijkhuizen was sacked on 23 December 2016.
Other work
From 2008 to 2012, Dijkhuizen worked as an analyst for S.B.V. Excelsior, researching and providing data on the club's upcoming opponents.
Personal life
Dijkhuizen's brother Marc is also involved in football and the pair worked together on the coaching staff at 's-Gravenzandse SV during the 2008–09 season.
Honours
As a player
SC Cambuur
- Eerste Divisie promotion playoff: 1997–98
S.B.V. Excelsior
- Eerste Divisie: 2005–06
As a manager
VV Montfoort
- Hoofdklasse third place promotion: 2010–11
- Eerste Klasse third place promotion: 2009–10
S.B.V. Excelsior
- Eerste Divisie playoffs: 2013–14
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