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Igor Kokoškov

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Igor Kokoškov
Phoenix Suns
PositionHead coach
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (1971-12-17) December 17, 1971 (age 52)
Banatski Brestovac, SFR Yugoslavia
NationalitySerbian / American
Listed height1.94 m (6 ft 4+1⁄2 in)
Career information
CollegeUniversity of Belgrade
Coaching career1992–present
Career history
As coach:
1992–1994OKK Beograd (youth)
1994–1995OKK Beograd (assistant)
1995–1996OKK Beograd
1996–1997Partizan (youth)
1999–2000Missouri (assistant)
2000–2003Los Angeles Clippers (assistant)
2003–2008Detroit Pistons (assistant)
2004–2005Serbia and Montenegro (assistant)
2008–2015Georgia
2008–2013Phoenix Suns (assistant)
2013–2014Cleveland Cavaliers (assistant)
2015Orlando Magic (assistant)
2015–presentUtah Jazz (assistant)
2016–2017Slovenia
Career highlights and awards
As assistant coach
Medals
Men's basketball
Head Coach for  Slovenia
EuroBasket
Gold medal – first place 2017 Turkey Team

Igor Stefan Kokoškov (Serbian Cyrillic: Игор Стефан Кокошков, born 17 December 1971) is a Serbian basketball coach, and the current head coach of the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

As a full-time assistant coach, Kokoškov is the first European to hold such a position in NCAA Division I college basketball, and the first non-American to hold such a position in the NBA.[1] In 2004, he became the first non-American assistant coach to win an NBA championship, and the first to serve on an NBA All-Star Game coaching staff.[2]

He won the EuroBasket 2017 with Slovenia men's national team.

Coaching career

Kokoškov, a graduate of the University of Belgrade, coached various club teams in Belgrade, and was on the coaching staff of the Yugoslav (now Serbia) men's and junior national teams. At the age of 24, Kokoškov became the youngest coach in Yugoslavian basketball history, shortly after suffering serious injuries sustained during an automobile accident, that ended a promising basketball playing career.

His savvy, ambitious nature, and command of the English language were factors when he was hired by the University of Missouri's Tigers, as a part of their full-time coaching staff in 1999, making him the first European to hold such a position in NCAA Division I men's college basketball.[1]

An assistant coach in the NBA (2000–present)

In 2000, Kokoškov became the first non-American to be hired as a full-time assistant coach in the NBA, by the Los Angeles Clippers, under head coach Alvin Gentry.[1] In 2003, he joined the Detroit Pistons staff of head coach Larry Brown. He won an NBA championship in 2004 with the Pistons. At the 2006 NBA All-Star Game he serve on the Eastern Conference coaching staff.

On 20 June 2008, Kokoškov was named an assistant coach of the Phoenix Suns.[3] On 29 May 2013, Kokoškov was named as assistant coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers.[4] On 17 February 2015, Kokoškov was named as assistant coach for the Orlando Magic, until the end of the season.[1]

On 1 July 2015, Kokoškov was hired by the Utah Jazz to be an assistant coach.[2] On 5 December 2016, Kokoškov led Utah to win over Los Angeles Lakers, 107–101.[5] Jazz head coach Quin Snyder had fallen ill and missed their game against the Lakers.[6]

Phoenix Suns

On May 2nd, 2018, Kokoskov was hired as the head coach of the Phoenix Suns. He is the first European-born head coach in NBA history.

National teams

Serbia and Montenegro

Kokoškov was an assistant coach with the Serbia and Montenegro national team at the 2004 Summer Olympics and the 2005 EuroBasket, under renowned European head coach Željko Obradović.[1][3]

Georgia (2008–2015)

On 18 April 2008, Kokoškov was named the head coach of the Georgian national basketball team. He coached Georgia at 2011 EuroBasket in Lithuania, 2013 EuroBasket in Slovenia and 2015 EuroBasket in Croatia/France. He left after EuroBasket 2015.

Slovenia (2016–2017)

On 18 January 2016, the Basketball Federation of Slovenia named Kokoškov the new head coach of the Slovenian national team, for the next two years.[7] He left after EuroBasket 2017 after he won gold medal with Slovenia.

Personal life

Kokoskov and his wife, Patricia, were married in the summer of 2009. The couple has two children: a son, Luka, and a daughter, Elina-Grace.[1] On June 18, 2010, Igor Kokoškov became an American citizen.

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili honored Kokoškov with an Order of Honour, Georgia’s highest civilian honor, on 18 December 2011.[1][8]

Head coaching record

National teams
Year National Team Tournament Standing Pld W L
2009 Georgia EuroBasket Div. B 1st 10 9 1
2010 Georgia EuroBasket Qualification 2nd 8 5 3
2011 Georgia EuroBasket 11th 8 2 6
2012 Georgia EuroBasket Qualification 2nd 8 6 2
2013 Georgia EuroBasket 17th 5 1 4
2014 Georgia EuroBasket Qualification 1st 6 4 2
2015 Georgia EuroBasket 15th 6 2 4
2016 Slovenia EuroBasket Qualification 1st 6 6 0
2017 Slovenia EuroBasket 9 9 0
EuroBasket 5/5 34 20 14

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Magic Name Igor Kokoskov Assistant Coach
  2. ^ a b "Jazz Announce Basketball Staff Additions". NBA.com. July 1, 2015. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
  3. ^ a b Suns Complete Coaching Staff
  4. ^ Cleveland Cavaliers hire Phoenix assistant Igor Kokoskov
  5. ^ "Utah Jazz: With Snyder ill, Igor Kokoskov coaches Jazz to win over Lakers". The Salt Lake Tribune. December 5, 2016. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
  6. ^ "Jazz coach Quin Snyder misses game vs. Lakers". NBA.com. December 5, 2016. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
  7. ^ "Moško člansko reprezentanco bo vodil Igor Kokoškov". kzs.si. January 19, 2016. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
  8. ^ Video on YouTube
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