The Slovakian hockey federation has confirmed to keep Jan Filc as the head coach of the national team despite its disappointing performance at the 2009 IIHF World Championship.

At the meeting of the Slovakian hockey federation on Wednesday, Jan Filc presented a comprehensive evaluation report of the Slovakia's preparations for the IIHF World Championship and the team's performance during the IHWC.

In its justification for the decision to keep Jan Filc as head coach, the Slovakian federation referred to two targets set for the national team. The first target was to reach the quarterfinals, and the second was to get through a generation transition.

In its press release from the meeting, the federation noted that though the first target was not met, the Slovakian federation sees no reason to change the head coaching of team Slovakia. Filc will thus continue to be responsible for the Slovakian national team which will face huge challenges in the next season with the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and the IHWC in Germany. At its next meeting the Slovakian federation will decide on an action plan for the season.

In the Olympics, Slovakia is grouped with Russia, Czech Republic and Latvia. (the format of hockey tournament in the 2010 Olympics is explained here) In the 2010 IHWC, Slovakia is placed in arguably strongest preliminary group with Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan.

Jan Filc (born 1953) originally coached team Slovakia in from 1999 to 2002. During that span, he led the Slovakian U20 team to a bronze in 1999, and the national team to a silver medal in 2000. In 2002 he crowned his coaching job with Slovakia's first and only World Championship. In 2002, Jan Filc became a member of the executive board of the Slovakian hockey federation where he was responsible for the national team department. In 2006, he became the vice-president of the federation. After Slovakia's devasting performance in the 2008 IIHF World Championship, where the team ended up in the relegation playoffs, Jan Filc once again took the position as head coach to rescue the Slovakian national team from a further slide.