Jan Ove Pedersen


Jan Ove Pedersen is a Norwegian football coach and former player. He was manager of SC Bregenz in the Austrian Regional League, the third-highest division in Austrian football, until his sacking on 28 October 2007.
During his playing career, he turned out for Lillestrøm and Brann of Norway, Cercle Brugge and SW Bregenz of Austria, as well as a loanspell at the English club Hartlepool United.

Playing career

As a player, Pedersen was a classy holding midfielder with a superb range of passes who rarely wasted a ball. His performances between 1990 and 1994 at Lillestrøm brought him international recognition. From there he signed for Brann in 1996, in a deal which saw Frank Strandli go the other way. Pedersen was a hugely popular player, especially at Hartlepool United. Despite only making 20 appearances whilst on loan from Brann, he would be one of the first names on any supporter’s All Time XI for the club.
He finished his career playing in the best team in Schwarz-Weiss Bregenz’s history, reaching the Intertoto Cup in 2002 and 2004.

Managerial career

When SW Bregenz went bankrupt in 2004 and lost their professional license, they turned to Pedersen to coach a hastily assembled squad of amateur players. His first two seasons in charge of the now renamed SC Bregenz saw two promotions, the second of these as Vorarlbergliga champions. On 28 October 2007, just before the winter break, he was fired with SC Bregenz in the relegation zone of the Regional League West. From 2009 until 30 June 2010 he was the player/trainer for SV Brauerei Frastanz in the 2. Landesklasse.

Life after football

Pedersen has settled in the Bregenz area and is now working as a management consultant.