Mickey Gorka Explained

Mickey Gorka
Position:Head coach
League:Israeli National League
Team:Bnei Herzliya
Height Ft:6
Height In:2
Nationality:Israeli
Birth Date:15 November 1972
Birth Place:Haifa, Israel
College:
Draft Year:1999
Career Start:1993
Career End:2005
Career Position:Point guard
Coach Start:2006
Years1:1993–1995
Team1:Hapoel Haifa
Years2:1999–2001
Team2:Hapoel Haifa
Years3:2001–2004
Team3:Maccabi Kiryat Bialik
Years4:2004–2005
Team4:Maccabi Ramat Gan
Cyears1:2006–2008
Cteam1:Ironi Nahariya (assistant)
Cyears2:2008–2010
Cteam2:Maccabi Haifa (assistant)
Cyears3:2010
Cteam3:Ironi Nahariya
Cyears4:2011
Cteam4:Maccabi Haifa (assistant)
Cyears5:2011–2012
Cteam5:Maccabi Haifa
Cyears6:2013–2014
Cteam6:Maccabi Kiryat Bialik
Cyears7:2014–2015
Cteam7:Bnei Herzliya (assistant)
Cyears8:2015–2017
Cteam8:Bnei Herzliya
Cyears9:2017–2018
Cteam9:Hapoel Jerusalem (assistant)
Cyears10:2018
Cteam10:Ironi Nahariya
Cyears11:2018–2019
Cteam11:Maccabi Rehovot
Cyears12:2019–2020
Cteam12:Bnei Herzliya
Cyears13:2022-2023
Cteam13:Hapoel Hevel Modi'in B.C.
Cyears14:2023
Cteam14:Hapoel Haifa
Cyears15:2023-present
Cteam15:Maccabi Rishon LeZion (basketball)
Cyears16:2023-present

Michael "Mickey" Gorka (Hebrew: מיקי גורקה; born November 15, 1972) is an Israeli professional basketball coach and former professional player.

Early life and playing career

Gorka was born in Haifa, Israel. He played college basketball for University of West Florida's Argonauts, Wallace State Community College and the Spring Hill College's Badgers, alongside Eric Campbell and Tony Younger.[1]

Gorka started his professional career with Hapoel Haifa and later joined Maccabi Kiryat Bialik and Maccabi Ramat Gan.[1]

Coaching career

In 2006, Gorka started his coaching career as the assistant coach of Ironi Nahariya under Ariel Beit-Halahmy.[1]

On March 2, 2011, Gorka was named Maccabi Haifa new head coach for the rest of the season, replacing Ami Nawi.[2] Gorka led Haifa to finish the 2010–11 Season in the ninth place and secure their place in the Premier League for another season. On January 20, 2012, Gorka parted ways with Maccabi Haifa.[3]

On August 18, 2014, Gorka was named the assistant coach of Bnei Herzliya under head coach Muli Katzurin.[4] On February 10, 2015, Gorka was named Bnei Herzliya new head coach for the rest of the season.[5] On April 2, 2015, Gorka was named Israeli League Coach of the Month for games played in March.[6]

On December 1, 2016, Gorka was named Israeli League Coach of the Month for games played in November.[7] In his third season with Herzliya, he led the team to the 2017 Israeli League Playoffs as the fifth seed, but they eventually were eliminated by Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Quarterfinals.

On December 5, 2017, Gorka parted ways with Herzliya after three years as the head coach.[8] Six days later, Gorka was named the assistant coach of Hapoel Jerusalem for the rest of the season.[9]

On July 1, 2018, Gorka returned to Ironi Nahariya for a third stint, signing a two-year deal.[10] However, on December 11, 2018, he parted ways with Nahariya after five consecutive losses and a 2–7 start to the 2018–19 season.[11]

On December 14, 2018, Gorka was named the head coach of Maccabi Rehovot for the rest of the season, replacing Roy Hagay.[12]

On September 5, 2019, Gorka returned to Bnei Herzliya for a second stint, signing for the 2019–20 season.[13]

In the summer of 2023, Gorka took charge of the Romania men's national basketball team replacing Dragan Petričević.[14]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: גורקה: מבין את נאווי. mako.co.il. August 20, 2018. March 3, 2011. he.
  2. Web site: עמי נאווי סיים את תפקידו במכבי חיפה. walla.co.il. August 20, 2018. March 2, 2011. he.
  3. Web site: זה היה באוויר: מיקי גורקה פוטר ממכבי חיפה. ONE.co.il. August 20, 2018. January 20, 2012. he.
  4. Web site: מיקי גורקה מונה לעוזרו של קצורין בבני הרצליה. ONE.co.il. August 20, 2018. August 18, 2014. he.
  5. Web site: מיקי גורקה ימשיך כמאמנה של בני הרצליה. mako.co.il. August 20, 2018. February 10, 2015. he.
  6. Web site: נבחרי חודש מרץ: גורקה ורות'בארט. basket.co.il. August 20, 2018. April 2, 2015. he.
  7. Web site: מאמן חודש נובמבר: מיקי גורקה. basket.co.il. August 20, 2018. December 1, 2016. he.
  8. Web site: מיקי גורקה סיים את תפקידו בהרצליה. basket.co.il. August 20, 2018. December 5, 2017. he.
  9. Web site: מיקי גורקה ישמש כעוזרו של מודי מאור. basket.co.il. August 20, 2018. December 11, 2017. he.
  10. Web site: חוזר לעין שרה: גורקה יאמן את הסגולים. basket.co.il. August 20, 2018. July 1, 2018. he.
  11. Web site: גורקה סיים את עבודתו בעירוני נהריה. basket.co.il. December 11, 2018. December 11, 2018. he.
  12. Web site: אתגר חדש: מיקי גורקה יאמן את מכבי רחובות. ONE.co.il. December 14, 2018. December 14, 2018. he.
  13. Web site: חוזר לשרון: גורקה מונה למאמן בני הרצליה. ONE.co.il. September 5, 2019. September 5, 2019. he.
  14. Web site: România începe miercuri (19.07) ultima fereastră a precalificărilor EuroBasket 2025. baschet.ro. July 19, 2023. July 18, 2023. ro.