19 Feb 2024
    25 Feb 2025

    New coaches galore entering FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers' second window

    5 min to read
    Long Read

    Who will make the biggest impact?

    BEIRUT (Lebanon) - This is arguably the most head coaching changes that has ever taken place since the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers was institutionalized.

    Several national teams will head into Window 2 of the 2025 qualifying rounds next week with new mentors in charge of their programs, with most of them looking for a major turnaround while the others hope to up the ante further.

    Now we take a look at some of the teams that have made the switch. There may be a few, though, that sound familiar to fans. But who will make the biggest impact?

    Jad El Hajj goes to Bahrain

    Many were left surprised when the news broke out last May that Jad El Hajj is headed to Bahrain to take over their head coaching reins from Ricard Casas.

    The youthful bench tactician is best known for his body of work with Lebanon, which saw him steer the Cedars to the silver medal in the 2022 Asia Cup in Jakarta and a FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 appearance - the program's first in 13 years.

    Yes, that same World Cup where they almost upended France in easily one of the most exciting games that last year's global spectacle witnessed.

    He became even more known due to his success in the club scene, too, having led Sagesse to a runner-up finish in the FIBA West Asia Super League Final 8 last June. It proved to be his swan song with a Lebanese side before leaving for Bahrain.

    El Hajj has begun buckling down to work with the Bahrainis, and has brought solid results thus far. He led the team to its first-ever gold in the GBA Championship for National Teams last September, beating Qatar in the Final, 73-68.

    Without a doubt, they want to build on that heading into Window 2, where they will be taking on Syria on November 22 and UAE on November 24.

    Cedars tap Miodrag Perisic

    As El Hajj bid goodbye, Lebanon have then tapped the services of Miodrag Perisic, someone who has grown familiar to the Lebanese fans over the years.

    The Serbian has done multiple stints in the Lebanese Basketball Championship, first with Anibal Zahle and then Tadamon Zouk before heading to Beirut Club.

    He's succeeded elsewhere, too. He led US Monastir to the Basketball Africa League championship in 2022, where he coached a team that also featured former Lebanese naturalized player Ater Majok past Petro de Luanda in the Final.

    This will be Perisic's return to national team competitions. Actively coaching since 1999, the 52-year-old previously handled Qatar back in 2020-23.

    He started with the Cedars in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament last May - like El Hajj with Bahrain. They played in the Spain OQT held in Valencia, reaching as far as the Semi-Finals before bowing to the loaded Bahamas, 89-72.

    Now, Perisic will look to keep Lebanon unblemished this Window 2. They are scheduled to meet UAE on November 22, and the Syria on November 25. Both matches will be held at the Sheikh Saeed Bin Maktoum Sports Hall in Dubai.

    China call back Guo Shiqiang

    One of the continent's traditional powerhouses called an old guard back after China reappointed Guo Shiqiang as the chief think-tank of Team Dragon last July. The former player turned coach was brought in to replace Aleksandar Djordjevic.

    This will be Guo's second time to coach the men's team, having done so 15 years ago or in the 2009 FIBA Asia Championship where they settled for silver. It proved to be a one-and-done stint, though, as he stepped down in that same year.

    He was only 34 at the time of his signing back in 2009, making the former Olympian the youngest to ever be appointed as coach of the proud Chinese team.

    Now at 49, Guo is coming back with much more experience and wisdom gained from the years he's been spending mentoring others most notably in the CBA League, where he's once a champion and twice a Coach of the Year awardee.

    Coaching since retiring as a player back in 2005 at an age of 30, he is inheriting a program that's been hungry for Asia Cup gold since 2015. Their trek back to the tourney continues this window, where they will face Guam (21) and Mongolia (24).

    Johannis Winar replaces Milos Pejic in Timnas

    Indonesia are moving on from Milos Pejic by promoting Johannis Winar, marking the first time in half a decade that a local coach is in charge of Timnas.

    Coach Ahang was appointed just last October as the partnership between the Serbian and the Indonesian Basketball Association has come to an end - a stint highlighted by a gold-medal run in the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam.

    Pejic also led the Indonesians in the 2022 Asia Cup and to other national team tournaments thereafter until the end of his commitment with them. He succeeded Rajko Toroman just days before the Asia Cup, which was held in Jakarta.

    Now, a new era of sorts for Timnas lies ahead under the stewardship of Winar, who was actually an assistant coach of both Toroman and Pejic before this promotion.

    A part of the bronze-winning Timnas in the 20th SEA Games, the 53-year-old has upped his stock in recent months. He led Pelita Jaya to a solid showing in the inaugural Basketball Champions League Asia, then to the IBL crown shortly after.

    Unheralded Jacob Chance to lead Aussies post-'Goorj'

    Following the end of Brian Goorjian's tenure, Australia opted to go with youth for Window 2 by tapping 31-year-old Jacob Chance as their head coach.

    He's been the head of video and analytics for the Boomers but he's gained much respect for the work he's put in as an assistant coach. Before joining Melbourne United, he was previously with the Perth Wildcats and the Tasmania JackJumpers.

    “I’ve had a good depth of experience in professional basketball over the last decade with both the Boomers and in the NBL," Chance told Basketball Australia.

    "Having exposure to major tournaments like the FIBA Asia Cup, World Cup, Olympics and other windows fills me with confidence for the challenge ahead,” he added.

    To be supported by assistant coaches Kerry Williams and Robbie McKinlay, Chance will be leading an Australia side looking to beat Thailand and Australia to go 4-0 - games that they will play in Bangkok and in Goyang, respectively.

    Qatar bring in Hakan Demir

    In a major development toward their preparation for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027, Qatar have replaced Thanasis Skourtopoulos with Hakan Demir.

    Demir, 56, brings with an extensive coaching experience that could surely help the youth-laden program as they gear up for the big hosting. The Turkish previously held Iran, leading them in last year's World Cup until Window 1 of the ongoing Qualifiers.

    He also served as an assistant to the youth and then senior national teams of Turkey in a career that saw him coach in the professional ranks in his homeland.

    Demir was actually still with Team Melli when they beat the Qataris back in Window 1, 76-73, in a thriller in Tehran. Now, he will look to help the latter (0-2) turn their fortunes around against India and, again, the Iranians in the upcoming window.

    Judd Flavell in charge for Tall Blacks

    New Zealand are once again calling a member of the 2002 team that reached the final four of the FIBA Basketball World Cup to coach the team in Judd Flavell.

    Flavell has taken over the reins previously held by Pero Cameron, who stepped down to accept an offer to lead the Ningbo Rockets of the Chinese CBA.

    Cameron himself replaced Paul Henare, making Flavell the third member of that famed Tall Blacks to be appointed as the chief mentor of the proud program.

    The 50-year-old Flavell has strong ties to the national team program. He was head coach of the New Zealand U18 team in 2013. Flavell served as an assistant with the Junior Tall Blacks in 2014, and as an assistant with the Tall Blacks in 2020.

    He takes over a team that won its first two games in Window 1. He will have a baptism of fire in Manila against the Philippines, who are also 2-0, on November 21. New Zealand will then host Chinese Taipei on November 25.

    Other notable changes

    Meanwhile, other teams that should be watched out for by going through their own coaching switches include Iraq as they have welcomed Vesilin Matic.

    Matic was previously with India, overseeing both the junior and senior men's teams during his time there. With him bidding farewell, India have recalled American Scott Flemming, who coached the men's squad from 2012-15.

    Then there's Chinese Taipei with Gianlucca Tucci; Iran with Sotirios Manolopoulos; and Saudi Arabia with Casas, who as mentioned is formerly of Bahrain.

    FULL LIST OF COACHES IN FIBA ASIA CUP 2025 QUALIFIERS

    NATIONAL TEAM

    COACH

    Australia

    Jacob Chance

    Bahrain

    Jad El Hajj

    China

    Guo Shiquang

    Chinese Taipei

    Gianlucca Tucci

    Guam

    EJ Calvo

    Hong Kong, China

    Chiu Wing Leung

    India

    Scott Flemming

    Indonesia

    Johannis Winar

    Iran

    Sotirios Manolopoulos

    Iraq

    Vesilin Matic

    Japan

    Tom Hovasse

    Jordan

    Wesam Al-Sous

    Kazakhstan

    Alexandr Lyssyak

    Korea

    An Jun-Ho

    Lebanon

    Miodrag Perisic

    Mongolia

    Vasilios Fragkias

    New Zealand

    Judd Flavell

    Palestine

    Ioannis Diamantakos

    Philippines

    Tim Cone

    Qatar

    Hakan Demir

    Saudi Arabia

    Ricard Casas

    Syria

    Facundo Petracci

    Thailand

    Edu Torres

    UAE

    Ben Slimane

    FIBA

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