May 25, 2012
Unicaja dismisses head coach Aito
Aito Garcia Reneses - UnicajaShortly before the start of the Top 16, Unicaja has made a shakeup at the top by firing head coach Aito Garcia Reneses and assistant coach Joaquin Costa effective immediately. A press conference has been called for Tuesday afternoon in which a replacement is expected to be named. Coach Garcia Reneses, widely known as Aito, had led Unicaja for the last three seasons. He helped Unicaja reach the Spanish League semifinals in 2009 and 2010 as well as the Spanish King's Cup final in 2009. Unicaja was Aito’s fourth team in a 35-year coaching career in Spain. He made his coaching debut in 1974 with Circulo Catolico of Badalona, later known as Cotonificio Badalona. Aito coached Joventut from 1983 to 1985, finishing as runner-up in the Spanish League in his last season there. Then began a 17-year stay at FC Barcelona during which the club joined Europe's elite echelon. As head coach during three different stints, Aito led Barcelona to nine Spanish League titles. He also took Barcelona to four European title games and six Final Fours, while winning the Korac Cup twice, in 1987 and 1999, and the Saporta Cup in 1986. Garcia Reneses returned to Joventut in 2003 and won the 2006 FIBA EuroCup and the 2007 ULEB Cup trophies. Before joining Unicaja, Garcia Reneses was named head coach of the Spanish national team at the 2008 Olympics, challenging the favored United States before losing a gold-medal game that is already considered a classic in world basketball history. Unicaja opens the Top 16 at home on Thursday against Caja Laboral.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Euroleague.net
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