Aasmund Bjørkan

Aasmund Bjørkan (born 3 July 1973) is a Norwegian former professional footballer who was appointed manager at Bodø/Glimt after the 2015 season. He had been the assistant of former manager Jan Halvor Halvorsen since 2013. He has previously been head coach of the First Division sides Alta and Ranheim. As a player, he played as a winger for Bodø/Glimt and Vålerenga, and won the Norwegian Cup in 1993 and 2002.

Playing career Bjørkan made his debut for Bodø/Glimt in 1991, and helped win promotion ahead of the 1993 season. In his first Norwegian top division season in 1993, he played all 22 league games. He remained a steadfast first-team player at Bodø/Glimt until changing club to Vålerenga in the middle of the 2000 season. After some meagre seasons He started off well, playing all 26 league games in 2003, He retired as an active player after the 2005 season.

Post-playing career Ahead of the 2006 season he was offered the job as head coach of Steigen SK. This did not happen; instead he was hired at Bodø/Glimt as a player developer. Ahead of the 2009 season, he was hired as the new head coach for second-tier club Alta IF. After two seasons there Bjørkan moved to become the new head coach for Ranheim from 1 January 2011, where he replaced Per Joar Hansen who took over the Norwegian under-21 team. Bjørkan led the team to a fourth and a seventh place in the First Division, and left the club after the 2012 season when his contract expired.

Bjørkan was linked to the vacant position as head coach of Bodø/Glimt ahead of the 2013 season, but after the club hired Jan Halvor Halvorsen as head coach, he was hired as his assistant coach. When Jan Halvor Halvorsen left Bodø/Glimt after the 2015 season, Bjørkan was appointed head coach. In his first season in charge, Bodø/Glimt was relegated to the 1. divisjon. Bjørkan stayed at the club, Bodø/Glimt won the 2017 1. divisjon with a 16-point margin, and Bjørkan was named the 1. divisjon manager of the year.

Personal life Bjørkan's son Fredrik André is also a professional footballer, currently playing for Bodø/Glimt as a left-back.

Career statistics

Managerial statistics

Honours

As a player Bodø/Glimt Norwegian Cup: 1993 Vålerenga Norwegian Cup: 2002

As a manager Bodø/Glimt 1. divisjon: 2017

Individual 1. divisjon Manager of the Year: 2017