TONY GARBELOTTO MAKES GERMAN SWITCH
- Updated: May 27, 2012
Tony Garbelotto has quit Mersey Tigers to take charge of German Pro A team Heidelberg.
The 43-year-old leaves the troubled Liverpool outfit a year after leading them to the British Basketball League title.
However his final season in charge there was beset by problems behind the scenes at the club, with Garbelotto now seeking a challenge elsewhere.
However his final season in charge there was beset by problems behind the scenes at the club, with Garbelotto now seeking a challenge elsewhere.
“I was always looking for a good project and there was a couple of options out there,†he said.
“But it’s always tough to break into another league. I met with the GM there last month and I got a really good feel for what they want to do. There’s already a good infrastructure and a very professional set-up.
“And it has great potential. I’ve been to Bamberg before and Heidelberg is bigger. They’re the possibility of getting our own arena. And I feel I can get them quickly into the (top tier) BBL and go on from there.â€
It leaves Mersey looking for a new coach at a time when its ownership situation is clouded, with a possible takeover looming on the horizon.
Garbelotto – who has also been appointed as assistant coach of the Great Britain Futures squad – secured four major trophies in his four seasons at the helm but he admits the sole cloud was exiting in the wake of becoming the first reigning league champions to miss the play-offs the following year.
“Last year was disappointing,†he said. “The biggest issue was not being able to bring back all of that group and defend our trophies. It was frustrating not to build on what we had with that team.
“But I had some great times there. It’s a shame though that the local authority and others in the city never gave the Tigers the credit they deserved and didn’t support it in the way they should have.â€
Garbelotto, who will have a scouting role with Great Britain’s senior men this summer, previously coached in Iceland in addition to three clubs in the BBL.
Elsewhere, Plymouth Raiders have re-signed Drew Lasker and Anthony Rowe.
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