Новый Уренгой
The 2008-2009 season which Ovchinnikov spent coaching "Fakel" (Novy Urengoy) was not a favorable season for him. From the very beginning of the championship, accidental injuries sustained by key players of "Fakel" constrained them from actively participating in the games until the team left the elite division. Though Ovchinnikov was requested to remain coaching "Fakel", he preferred coaching "Omichka" (Omsk). Before he started working with the Omichka team, Ovchinnikov performed well in the national team as an assistant head coach to Vladimir Kuzyutkin. During the quarterfinal playoffs, "Omichka" clashed with "Dynamo" (Krasnodar) and they lost with their rivals winning “bronze” that year under the guidance of Yuri Marichev.