Hikmet Karaman

Hikmet Karaman — Biography

Hikmet Karaman is known as the manager who took Kocaelispor to the Turkish Cup in 2001-02 with a 4-0 final win over Beşiktaş, and who lifted Çaykur Rizespor and Antalyaspor into the Süper Lig. He is often associated with rescue jobs, taking over sides in trouble. In March 2026 he reached an agreement with Iğdır FK.

He played as a striker, midfielder and left-back in Kocaelispor's youth ranks; while studying in Berlin he played for Rot-Weiß and Normania 08 and, as player-coach of Berlin Türkspor 1965, took the club up to the German third division. He earned his coaching licences at the Cologne Hennef sports school; he holds a UEFA Pro licence and speaks German at an advanced level. In 1994 he began as Reinhard Saftig's assistant at Kocaelispor, continued working with him at Galatasaray, and in 1997-98 assisted Mustafa Denizli.

He became a head coach in 1998 with Zeytinburnuspor and then managed Erzurumspor, Rizespor and Adanaspor. At Kocaelispor he took a side with 9 points from 16 games to a 41-point finish, beat Galatasaray 3-2 and won the cup; the team went out to Ferencváros in the UEFA Cup. He saved Kayserispor from relegation, kept Ankaraspor up, lifted Antalyaspor in 2007-08 and won the Spor Toto Cup with Gaziantepspor. Later spells came at Bursaspor and Kayseri Erciyesspor, a return to Rizespor from 2014 to 2017 (128 matches), then Ankaragücü, Kayserispor and Adana Demirspor, and in October 2024 he agreed to coach Moldova's Zimbru Chișinău.