Henk de Jong

In this Dutch name, the surname is de Jong, not Jong.
Henk de Jong
Personal information
Date of birth (1964-08-27) 27 August 1964
Place of birth Drachten, Netherlands
Team information
Current team
 Cambuur (head coach)
Youth career
Drachtster Boys
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1984–1985 Heerenveen 0 (0)
Managerial career
1994–1997 Drachtster Boys
1997–1999 Sneek
2002–2005 Sneek
2007–2010 Harkemase Boys
2013 Cambuur (caretaker)
2014–2016 Cambuur
2017–2019 De Graafschap
2019–2022 Cambuur
2023– Cambuur
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Henk de Jong (born 27 August 1964) is a Dutch professional football manager and the head coach of Cambuur, a position he will vacate at the end of the 2025–26 season to take up a role as assistant coach. He is regarded by the club as the most successful manager in their history,[1][2] having guided the club to three promotions to the Eredivisie and won the Eerste Divisie title twice as head coach, in 2012–13 and 2020–21. He also won the Rinus Michels Award twice, for Manager of the Year in amateur football in 2008–09 and in professional football in 2021.

Early life and career

De Jong studied at the Central Institute for Sports Education (CIOS) in Heerenveen, where his instructors included Foppe de Haan, and his peers included Wiljan Vloet, Gertjan Verbeek, and Jan de Jonge.[3] He played for Drachtster Boys until age 19 before joining SC Heerenveen's first team, but a knee injury ended his playing career prematurely.[4]

Managerial career

De Jong's coaching career began at Drachtster Boys, where he coached the youth teams for seven years before taking charge of the first team in the Hoofdklasse for three years.[4][5] In 1997, he moved to Sunday Hoofdklasse club Sneek.[6] Two years later, in 1999, he joined Heracles Almelo as an assistant coach under Fritz Korbach.[7] After one season, De Jong left the club and spent two years as an assistant coach at Heerenveen, where he helped the youth teams win national titles.[8] He then moved to Groningen, where he served as coach of the reserves and as assistant to the first team under Ron Jans before returning to the amateur level to coach Harkemase Boys.[9][10] His time at Harkemase Boys was marked by success, as he led the team to championships in the Eerste Klasse and Hoofdklasse, and in his final season, he achieved promotion to the Topklasse as runners-up.[11] In May 2009, he won the named Rinus Michels Award for Manager of the Year in Amateur Football.[12]

In early 2011, De Jong joined Cambuur as an assistant coach. At the end of the 2012–13 season, he became interim head coach and guided the club to the Eerste Divisie title. Despite his success, De Jong narrowly missed passing a professional football coaching course by one point, preventing him from coaching in the Eredivisie. Instead, he worked as the assistant to Dwight Lodeweges. De Jong was then appointed manager of Cambuur in April 2014, succeeding Lodeweges who had left the club after it was announced he would become the manager of the biggest rival of Cambuur, Heerenveen.[13]

He returned to Cambuur in July 2019 after two years in charge of De Graafschap.[14] In his first season back, De Jong led Cambuur to the top of the Eerste Divisie table by eleven points when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the abandonment of the competition. The Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) ruled that no promotion or relegation would take place; Cambuur challenged the decision in court but lost.[15] He won the Eerste Divisie title the following season, however, securing promotion to the Eredivisie.[14] In August 2021, he was awarded the Rinus Michels Award as Manager of the Year in professional football. In the 2021–22 Eredivisie season, Cambuur finished ninth—the highest league position in the club's history.[16]

In December 2021, De Jong was diagnosed with a cyst in his head and was briefly absent from his duties.[17] In March 2022, Cambuur announced that his health would prevent him from completing the 2021–22 season,[18] and in October 2022 he resigned with immediate effect, citing his health.[19] In March 2023, the club announced that he had undergone a successful operation to remove the cyst.[20] On 10 October 2023, following the dismissal of Sjors Ultee, De Jong returned as Cambuur's head coach—his fourth spell in that role at the club.[21]

After a difficult opening to the 2025–26 season, in which Cambuur briefly sat near the bottom of the table, the club recovered to mount a promotion challenge.[22] On 25 March 2026, Cambuur secured promotion to the Eredivisie as runners-up with a 4–2 victory away at Emmen, finishing behind champions ADO Den Haag.[23] On the same day, De Jong announced he would step down as head coach at the end of the season, signing a new four-year contract as assistant coach. He cited his home situation as the primary reason: "The most important reason for this step is my home situation. I want to give more time and attention to that." He described the timing as ideal: "At one of the absolute highlights, to be able to stop as head coach — you can't get it better than that."[24] The promotion was his third with the club—having previously won the Eerste Divisie title in 2013 and 2021—and Cambuur regard him as the most successful manager in their history.[1][2]

Career statistics

As of match played 24 April 2026
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team From To Record
P W D L Win %
Cambuur (caretaker) 22 March 2013 30 June 2013 8 7 0 1 087.50
Cambuur 2 April 2014 9 February 2016 66 17 16 33 025.76
De Graafschap 1 January 2017 30 June 2019 102 41 20 41 040.20
Cambuur 1 July 2019 21 October 2022 95 62 10 23 065.26
Cambuur 10 October 2023 Present 115 59 22 34 051.30
Total 386 186 68 132 048.19

Honours

Cambuur

Individual

  • Rinus Michels Award: 2008–09, 2021[12]

References

  1. ^ a b "Henk de Jong ook hoofdtrainer van SC Cambuur in het nieuwe stadion" [Henk de Jong also head coach of SC Cambuur in the new stadium]. SC Cambuur (in Dutch). 5 January 2024. Archived from the original on 19 February 2026. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  2. ^ a b "SC Cambuur bevestigt terugkeer Henk de Jong: "Onze meest succesvolle trainer ooit"" [SC Cambuur confirm return of Henk de Jong: 'Our most successful manager ever']. Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). 10 October 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  3. ^ Slot, Martijn (31 October 2015). "De Jong: "Zeg nog altijd 'u'"". GOAL (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 7 March 2016.
  4. ^ a b ""Super trots om hero van dit vooruitstrevende bedrijf te mogen zijn"". OG Clean Fuels (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 8 June 2023. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  5. ^ "Henk de Jong windt ook Leek om z'n vinger". De Krant (in Dutch). 18 November 2014. Archived from the original on 20 December 2024. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  6. ^ Keimpema, Albert van (9 November 2020). "'Er is ons onrecht aangedaan'". Fries Journaal (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  7. ^ Nauta, Piet Jan (8 November 2019). "Zijn oude leermesters en de clubs waar hij werkte, vormden Henk de Jong als trainer. 'Terwijl ik in de dug-out zat, belde de geschorste Fritz Korbach mij vanaf de tribune om te vertellen dat er allemaal mooie vrouwen zaten. Toen heb ik de telefoon maar uitgezet'". Friesch Dagblad (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 3 November 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  8. ^ Bakker, Joost (18 October 2014). "Henk de Jong: 'Ik zal nooit direct naar SC Heerenveen gaan'". TPO.NL (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 5 February 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  9. ^ "Henk de Jong aan de slag bij FC Groningen". NOS (in Dutch). 24 June 2016. Archived from the original on 7 December 2023. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  10. ^ "Henk de Jonge naar Harkemase Boys". OOG TV (in Dutch). 22 May 2007. Archived from the original on 3 May 2016. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  11. ^ "De Jong na dit seizoen weg bij Harkemase Boys". FCUpdate.nl (in Dutch). 21 October 2010. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  12. ^ a b "Henk de Jong wint voor de tweede keer prijs voor beste trainer". Omrop Fryslân (in Dutch). 9 August 2021. Archived from the original on 20 December 2024. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  13. ^ "De Jong blijft trainer SC Cambuur". NOS (in Dutch). 28 April 2014. Archived from the original on 11 January 2024. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  14. ^ a b "Trainer Henk de Jong tekent voor drie jaar bij SC Cambuur" (in Dutch).
  15. ^ "Rechter stelt KNVB in het gelijk, claim Cambuur en De Graafschap afgewezen" ["Court rules in favour of KNVB, Cambuur and De Graafschap's claim rejected]. NOS (in Dutch). 14 May 2020. Archived from the original on 17 November 2024. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  16. ^ Toemen, Max; Vries, Wiebe de (10 October 2023). "Dit zijn de bijzondere prestaties van Henk de Jong bij Cambuur" [These are the remarkable achievements of Henk de Jong at Cambuur]. ESPN (in Dutch). Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  17. ^ Bos, Gerard (8 December 2021). "Cambuur-trainer Henk de Jong door cyste in hoofd voorlopig afwezig". Leeuwarder Courant (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 8 December 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  18. ^ "Cambuur moet trainer De Jong lange tijd missen: '99 procent gaat niet bij Henk'". NOS (in Dutch). 10 March 2022. Archived from the original on 20 October 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  19. ^ "Henk de Jong moet per direct stoppen als trainer bij Cambuur: 'Einde van een tijdperk'". Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). 20 October 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  20. ^ "Operatie Henk de Jong geslaagd: 'Hij maakt het naar omstandigheden goed'". Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). 29 March 2023.
  21. ^ "Henk de Jong keert na succesvolle operatie terug als hoofdtrainer Cambuur". NOS (in Dutch). 10 October 2023. Archived from the original on 10 October 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  22. ^ "SC Cambuur lijkt zo langzamerhand onverslaanbaar in thuiswedstrijden" [SC Cambuur are slowly but surely becoming unbeatable in home matches]. Keuken Kampioen Divisie (in Dutch). 25 September 2025. Archived from the original on 14 March 2026. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  23. ^ "Cambuur promoveert overtuigend na zege op Emmen" [Cambuur promoted convincingly after victory over Emmen]. Keuken Kampioen Divisie (in Dutch). 24 March 2026. Archived from the original on 27 April 2026. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  24. ^ "De Jong stopt als hoofdtrainer van gepromoveerd Cambuur en wordt assistent" [De Jong steps down as head coach of promoted Cambuur and becomes assistant]. NOS (in Dutch). 25 March 2026. Archived from the original on 26 March 2026. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  25. ^ "3 mei 2013; een dag om nooit te vergeten". SC Cambuur (in Dutch). 3 May 2015. Archived from the original on 19 June 2024. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  26. ^ "SC Cambuur kroont zich tot kampioen van de Keuken Kampioen Divisie 2020/2021! · SC Cambuur". SC Cambuur (in Dutch). 23 April 2021. Archived from the original on 5 August 2024. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
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