Hungarian water polo—and Hungarian sport as a whole—is mourning the loss of Ferenc Kemény, one of the most influential figures the sport has ever known. Kemény passed away on December 3, 2025, in Pilisszentkereszt at the age of 93. His death was made public a month later, on what would have been his 94th birthday, following the wishes of his family.
The news was announced by his son, Dénes Kemény, the three-time Olympic champion former head coach of Hungary’s men’s national team, in a deeply personal message shared on Facebook.
“He asked us to experience this period in peace, within ourselves, and that is what happened and we hope it will continue to be so.”
The passing was also confirmed by the Hungarian Water Polo Association, as tributes poured in from across the Hungarian and international water polo community.
The coach behind generations of champions
Ferenc Kemény’s impact on Hungarian water polo is difficult to overstate. While he never sought the spotlight, his work laid the foundations for one of the most dominant eras in the sport’s history. As a youth and junior coach, he shaped generations of players who would later define Hungary’s senior national team.
Most remarkably, Kemény captained a junior national team that went undefeated for three consecutive years—an extraordinary achievement even by Hungary’s lofty standards. From his teams alone, 19 players went on to become Olympic champions, many of them central figures in the squads that won gold at the Olympic Games in 2000, 2004, and 2008.
Among the players whose careers he directly influenced were Tamás Kásás, Péter Biros, Gergely Kiss, Barnabás Steinmetz, Rajmund Fodor, Zsolt Varga, and Tamás Molnár—names that would later become synonymous with Hungarian water polo dominance.
Between 1989 and 1997, teams under his guidance reached the podium at World and European Championships 12 times, a testament not only to results but to the consistency of his developmental work.
An unmatched eye for talent
Kemény’s reputation as a talent identifier bordered on legendary. He was known for seeing qualities others missed—movement, balance, rhythm, and game intelligence.
One of the most often-told stories concerns Tamás Kásás, who initially wanted to pursue tennis. Kemény convinced him that water polo was his true calling, famously remarking that Kásás did not swim on the water but danced on it. Another example was Péter Biros, whom a coach from Eger recommended to him. Kemény immediately recognised his exceptional swimming ability—so efficient that, as the story goes, his back would dry during an attack—and brought him into his programme. Both would later stand atop the Olympic podium three times.
Kemény believed that elite water polo was “played with the head first,” and he was among the pioneers of emphasising decision-making, spatial awareness, and intelligence over raw physical power—principles that later became hallmarks of the senior national team under his son’s leadership.
“Fecsó”: the man behind the coach
Known universally around the pool as “Fecsó,” Ferenc Kemény combined authority with warmth and unmistakable dry humour. Although he held an engineering degree, he dedicated his entire life to water polo, approaching coaching with analytical precision while always leaving room for creativity.
His sayings became folklore. He once advised players to only shoot when they have the ball, and jokingly told one of his athletes that if he ever missed the ball completely while shooting, he should call him during the night shift. When the unlikely happened—an unconventional goal scored via the side netting in a rural pool—Kemény was indeed called at 2 a.m. Rather than being annoyed, he laughed and retold the story for years.
Self-irony was a defining trait. On one occasion, after protesting a referee decision, he blamed his “unfortunate lukewarm temperament,” joking that his sense of justice sometimes acted before his self-control.
A legacy that lives on
Kemény’s influence extended far beyond his own teams. He served the Hungarian federation in various roles, including leading its supplementary committee until the age of 80, and was widely regarded as a teacher of coaches—someone whose methods shaped not only players but generations of trainers.
In recognition of his lifetime contribution, Hungarian water polo honoured him while he was still alive. Two years ago, a youth coaching lifetime achievement award was named after him: the Ferenc Kemény “Fecsó” Youth Coach Lifetime Achievement Award, ensuring his name remains permanently tied to the sport’s future.
His legacy now spans three generations. Not only did he shape the Olympic-winning era through his son, but his grandson, Kristóf Kemény, has also followed the coaching path, continuing the family’s deep connection to the game.
Ferenc Kemény leaves behind far more than medals and statistics. He leaves behind a philosophy, a standard, and generations of players who learned not just how to win—but how to understand the game. Hungarian water polo has lost one of its quiet giants, but his influence will continue to ripple through the sport for decades to come.