Thanasis Skourtopoulos Explained

Thanasis Skourtopoulos
Θανάσης Σκουρτόπουλος
Position:Head coach
League:PLK
Team:Astoria Bydgoszcz
Birth Date:1965 5, mf=yes
Birth Place:Athens, Greece
Nationality:Greek
Coach Start:1996
Team1:Dafni Dafniou
Team2:Pagrati
Years3:1982–1991
Team3:AEK Athens
Cyears1:1996–1998
Cteam1:Aigaleo
Cyears2:1998–1999
Cteam2:Dafni Dafniou
Cyears3:1999–2000
Cteam3:OFI Crete
Cyears4:2000–2005
Cteam4:AEK Athens (Assistant)
Cyears5:2005–2006
Cteam5:Panellinios (Assistant)
Cyears6:2006–2008
Cteam6:Aigaleo
Cyears7:2009–2010
Cteam7:Peristeri
Cyears8:2010–2011
Cteam8:Panellinios
Cyears9:2011–2012
Cteam9:Ikaros Kallitheas
Cyears10:2012
Cteam10:Panionios
Cyears11:2013–2014
Cteam11:Keravnos
Cyears13:2014–2017
Cteam13:Greece (Assistant)
Cyears12:2014–2016
Cteam12:Rethymno
Cyears14:2016–2017
Cteam14:Apollon Patras
Cyears15:2017–2018
Cteam15:Faros Larissas
Cyears16:2017–2021
Cteam16:Greece
Cyears17:2021
Cteam17:Iraklis Thessaloniki
Cyears18:2023–present
Cteam18:Astoria Bydgoszcz
Cyears19:2023–present
Cteam19:Qatar
Highlights:As assistant coach:

Athanasios "Thanasis" Skourtopoulos (alternate spelling: Thanassis) (Greek: Αθανάσιος "Θανάσης" Σκουρτόπουλος; born May 23, 1965) is a Greek professional basketball coach and a former professional basketball player. He is the current head coach for Astoria Bydgoszcz of the Polish Basketball League (PLK) and Qatar national team.

Club playing career

Skourtopoulos played professional basketball with the Greek clubs Dafni Dafniou, Pagrati, and AEK Athens. He was a member of the AEK Athens team that made it to the Greek Cup Finals, in 1988.

Club coaching career

Some of the clubs Skourtopoulos has been the head coach of include: Aigaleo, Peristeri, Panellinios,[1] Ikaros Kallitheas, Panionios, and Keravnos.[2] In 2014, he became the head coach of Rethymno.[3] In 2016, he became the head coach of Apollon Patras. In 2017, he became the head coach of GSL Faros.

On July 1, 2018, Skourtopoulits returned to Panionios.[4] He later quit without coaching the team in any games.

On February 4, 2023, he signed with Astoria Bydgoszcz of the Polish Basketball League (PLK).[5]

National team coaching career

Skourtopoulos worked as an assistant coach of the senior men's Greek national basketball team at the following tournaments: the 2014 FIBA World Cup, the EuroBasket 2015, the 2016 Turin FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament, and the EuroBasket 2017.

He became the head coach of Greece's senior men's national team in October 2017. He first coached Greece at the 2019 FIBA World Cup qualifiers. He also coached Greece at the actual 2019 FIBA World Cup. After the 2019 FIBA World Cup, the Hellenic Basketball Federation announced that Rick Pitino would be Greece's head coach at the 2020 FIBA Victoria Olympic Qualifying Tournament and the 2020 Summer Olympics, should Greece qualify, while Skourtopoulos would remain as Greece's head coach for the 2021 EuroBasket qualification tournament.

In August 2023, he became the head coach of the Qatar national team.[6]

Personal life

Skourtopoulos failed to lead the senior Greek national basketball team to the results at the 2019 FIBA World Cup, in China, that many analysts, and sports media had predicted. Some major US sports media criticized his use of the MVP of the 2018–19 NBA season, Giannis Antetokounmpo at the tournament.[7]

Awards and accomplishments

Assistant coach

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.sport.gr/default.asp?pid=4&aid=73831 Sport.gr Panellinios Announces Skourtopoulos
  2. https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/?gamecode=10&pcode=BVT&clubcode=PLL Eurocupbasketball.com SKOURTOPOULOS, ATHANASIOS.
  3. http://www.a1basket.gr/2014/07/thanasis-skourtopoulos-rethymno-aegean-coach.html A1Basket.gr Thanasis Skourtopoulos is Rethymno Aegean's new coach.
  4. https://www.a1basket.gr/2018/07/thanasis-skourtopoulos-is-new-head-coach-panionios.html Thanasis Skourtopoulos is the new head coach of Panionios.
  5. Web site: Nowy trener Enea Abramczyk Astorii. February 4, 2023. plk.pl. pl. February 5, 2023.
  6. Web site: Qatar sign new coach as busy schedule beckons Al Annabi . Gulf Times . 9 August 2023 .
  7. https://www.eurohoops.net/en/fibawc/931895/greeces-coach-skourtopoulos-responds-to-us-media-criticism/ Greece’s coach, Skourtopoulos responds to US media criticism.