Hoffenheim's Sebastian Hoeness continuing Bundesliga dynasty

Sebastian Hoeness is the new head coach of Hoffenheim, the club confirmed on Monday.

In a statement announcing the hiring, Hoffenheim's director of professional football, Alexander Rosen, said discussions with Hoeness had shown that he and the club were on the same page when it comes to their approach to the game. 

"Sebastian has proven that he can form young players into a powerful unit and develop them as individuals," Rosen said. "He takes an offensive approach that is not only attractive, but has also been extraordinarily successful." 

For his part, Hoeness confirmed that "the basic philosophy of the club is identical with my idea of football – offensive, courageous, flexible and always active."  

Hoeness, who most recently coached Bayern Munich's reserves, also said he was looking forward to what he described as a "great challenge" as he gets his first opportunity to coach at the Bundesliga level.

Famous surname

Even though his surname is familiar to every German football fan, particularly due to former Bayern Munich President Uli Hoeness, the 38-year-old Sebastian is probably only known to football insiders. 

The son of Dieter Hoeness, a successful Bayern player, German international and brother of Uli, Sebastian did not have the prolific football career that is normally associated with his family. 

Nevertheless, he was always connected with the footballing dynasty and with him, a new Hoeness is entering the Bundesliga.

"Every now and then, I'd wish to be thought of as Sebastian — and not just as a Hoeness," he once said. "My surname is polarizing. I don't know it any other way."

From relegation spot to champions
In his youth, Sebastian Hoeness played for Stuttgart and later for the reserve teams of Hoffenheim and Hertha. He made 165 appearances for Hertha's second team over 10 years as an attacking midfielder. At the age of 28, he ended his playing career to devote himself to his real passion: coaching.

His first job was in the youth academy of Hertha Zehlendorf, then in the sixth-tier of the local Berlin league. But Hoeness had made an important contact during his one-year stint at Hoffenheim: Ralf Rangnick. When Rangnick took over at RB Leipzig, he brought in Hoeness as a youth academy coach, where he was responsible for the club's under-17 and under-19 teams before taking over as Bayern Munich's under-19 coach.

A year ago, he took over Bayern's reserve team, which had just earned promotion from the regional fourth division to the national third division. His side was in the relegation zone after eight matchdays, but he led the team to the third division title- the crowning moment of a rapid rise. 

From boys to men

"I've always done well not to think too much. Just to go my way and not take too many big steps. Successively trying to learn and develop myself further," Hoeness told regional television network SWR.

His father, Dieter, was full of praise for his son and his work, especially in the last year. "I saw the games in the fall. The level of play was already very good. He made men out of boys."

Hoeness and his team learned quickly and adapted to the conditions of the third division. In Hoffenheim, however, Hoeness is likely to institute a form of Rangnick-style counterattack football based on more stability in defense that requires a lot of running.

It's a chance for yet another Hoeness to make a name for himself in the Bundesliga, and continue a famous German football dynasty.