Wolfgang Erharter, former USST coach, lands job with German ski team

Wolfgang Erharter, former USST coach, lands job with German ski team{mosimage}Wolfgang Erharter has been named to coach the men’s Europa Cup squad for the Germany. A native of Innsbruck, Erharter is one of several experienced Austrian coaches brought in to help re-vamp the German men’s team.

Erharter’s last job was head coach of the American women’s World Cup GS and slalom team. As such, he oversaw the re-integration of Kristina Koznick into the U.S. Ski Team. Among his many challenges were a World Cup schedule that partly disintegrated and several staff members who left for other positions, with the U.S. Olympic Committee and a Canadian motorsports team, for example. There were various interpersonal conflicts. Erharter left the team in the mid-February.

Before coming to the U.S. Ski Team, Erharter spent five years as a men’s Europa Cup GS/SL coach for the Austrian team.

Erharter takes over in Germany for Christian Huber, who was promoted to World Cup level. Huber was responsible for the dramatic development of German phenom Felix Neureuther.

The German team is struggling to re-establish itself as a potent force on the World Cup, where it was once dominant. Last season, the German men finished 11th in the Nation’s Cup standings with just 326 World Cup points.