[6] In 1995, during a match against Bodø/Glimt, Aabrekk tried to stall for time by acting as if he were injured after he was run down by Bodø/Glimt's physiotherapist Truls Karlsen.

[8] After leading Brann to the finals of the 1999 Norwegian Cup, where they lost 2–0 against Rosenborg,[9] he received a one-year leave of absence to work full-time as assistant coach of the national team during their preparations for the UEFA Euro 2000 football championship.

[11] In 2002 Aabrekk joined Sogndal as Torbjørn Glomnes's assistant coach[6] and saved the team from relegation.

[14] He was at Haugesund until the end of the 2005 season,[6] when he joined Vålerenga's coaching staff along with Egil Olsen and Petter Myhre.

[8][18] Halfway through the season, the club wanted Aabrekk and the assistant coach, Espen Steffensen, to switch jobs.

At the same time, the club announced that Aabrekk would return immediately to his job as scout,[22] a position he kept until the contract expired.

[23] Aabrekk was then hired as head coach of his old club, Sogndal from 1 January 2010, succeeding Karl Oskar Emberland.