Oleg Kuleshov

For the Belarusian Olympic skier, see Oleg Kuleshov (skier).

Oleg Mikhaylovich Kuleshov (Russian: Олег Михайлович Кулешов, born 15 April 1974) is a former Russian handball player and current coach who won both the World Championship and European Championship. He also competed in the 1996 Summer Olympics and in the 2004 Summer Olympics. Currently he is the head coach of Dinamo Volgograd women's handball team.

Oleg Kuleshov
Kuleshov in 2007
Personal information
Full name	Oleg Mikhaylovich Kuleshov
Born	(1974-04-15) 15 April 1974 (age 51) Omsk, Soviet Union
Nationality	Russian
Height	184 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Playing position	Centre back
Youth career
Years	Team
0000-1991	Omsk
Senior clubs
Years	Team
1991-1999	HC Kaustik Volgograd
1999-2007	SC Magdeburg
2007-2008	VfL Gummersbach
National team
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1996–2007	Russia	123	(390)
Teams managed
2011-2012	HF Springe
2012-2015	Russia men's team
2016-2018	HF Springe
2018-2019	SKIF Krasnodar
2019-2020	CSKA Moscow women
2021-2024	Dinamo Volgograd
2024	CSKA Moscow women
Medal record Olympic Games 2004 Athens Team World Championships 1997 Japan Team European Championships 1996 Spain Team 2000 Croatia Team

Career

Kuleshov played early in his career for HC Kaustik Volgograd from 1991 to 1999,^{[citation needed]} where he won the Russian Handball Super League in 1996, 1997 and 1998.^[1]

He then joined German side SC Magdeburg,^{[citation needed]} where he won the 2011 Handball-Bundesliga, EHF Cup Winners' Cup and Club World Cup. In 2002 he won the EHF Champions League and in 2007 he won the EHF Cup.

In 2007 he joined VfL Gummersbach.^[2] A year later he retired due to injuries.^[3]

National team

Kuleshov played 123 games for the Russian national team, scoring 390 goals. He was part of the Russian 1990's golden generation that won the 1996 European Men's Handball Championship and the 1997 World Men's Handball Championship.

In 1996 he was a member of the Russian team which finished fifth in the Olympic tournament. He played all six matches and scored 23 goals. Eight years later he won the bronze medal with the Russian team in the 2004 Olympic tournament. He played all eight matches again and scored twelve goals.

Coaching career

Kuleshov was the coach of German team HF Springe from July 2011 until he was released of his contract in November 2012.^[4]

In March 2012 he became the head coach of the Russian national team.^[5] He was in this position until February 2015.^[6]

For the 2016-17 he returned to coach HF Springe in the 3. Liga.^[7] Afterwards he became the head coach of the Russian club SKIF Krasnodar.^[8] Here he was until August 2019.^[9] In October 2019 he took over at HC Spartak Moscow,^[10] where he was until October 2020.^[11]

From the 2021-22 season he coached the Russian women's team HC Dinamo Volgograd.^[12]

From the 2024-25 season he joined league rivals CSKA Moscow.^[13] He was however released of his contract already in October 2024.^[14]