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by | Dec 20, 2017 | Blackbirds

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Nenad Vučinić (Serbian Cyrillic: Ненад Вучинић; born 7 April 1965) is a Serbian-New Zealand basketball coach and former player. He was once interim head coach for the Philippines men's national basketball team, with Chot Reyes replacing him in the following 2022 FIBA Asia Cup.[2]

Playing career

As a player, he grew with youth selections of Partizan Belgrade. He played for BASK, Radnički, Kolubara and Slavonka Osijek before flying to New Zealand in 1989 with his wife.[3] There he played for the Nelson Giants of the New Zealand NBL. As a player, Vučinić was voted to the NBL All-Star Five in 1990.

Coaching career

New Zealand

He is the former head coach of New Zealand men's national basketball team the Tall Blacks. He was also the head coach for Fulgor Libertas Forlì in the Italian second league (Legadue), and for BC Kalev/Cramo, a professional basketball club based in Tallinn, Estonia which participates in Korvpalli Meistriliiga, Baltic Basketball League and VTB United League.

He has won five NBL Coach of the Year titles while guiding Nelson to two titles in 1998 and 2007. He stood down as Giants coach after their most recent success and still holds the record for most NBL coaching wins (164). After six years as an assistant coach, he took over the Tall Blacks reins in 2007, taking them to victory over Australia in the 2009 FIBA Oceania Championship and into the last 16 at the 2010 FIBA World Championship.[4]

Italy

On 12 June 2018, Vučinić signed a two-year deal with the Italian basketball club Sidigas Avellino of Lega Basket Serie A (LBA).[5] On 10 April 2019 he parted ways with Sidigas Avellino.[6]

Philippines

In early 2022, Vučinić joined the Philippines men's national basketball team initially as a consultant to head coach Tab Baldwin who resigned shortly after.[7][8] He would continue working under Chot Reyes. Vučinić would temporarily serve as head coach of the team for the June–July 2022 window of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian qualifiers.[9] After the brief stint, he became an assistant coach to Reyes who reassumed the position of head coach.[10] In August 2022, Vučinić left the Philippine national team coaching staff.[11] The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, the national federation of the Philippines, released a statement that Vučinić left the team amicably.[12]

In 2023, he was hired by the Meralco Bolts as their active consultant, and promoting Luigi Trillo as head coach. Vučinić runs practices and giving plays during timeout. He won a championship with the Bolts in 2024 PBA Philippine Cup.[13] He's the second active consultant to with a championship in the PBA history.

References

  1. ^ Bacnis, Justine (30 May 2022). "Meralco taps Gilas assistant Nenad Vucinic as consultant". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  2. ^ "Chot Reyes back as Gilas Pilipinas coach for 2022 Fiba Asia Cup". 8 July 2022.
  3. ^ Intervju: Sa Nenadom Vučinićem o Novom Zelandu, Pero Kameronu i trenerskom pozivu
  4. ^ 2013 Tall Blacks Media Guide
  5. ^ "Nenad Vucinic named Scandone Avellino head coach". sportando.basketball. Retrieved 12 June 2018.[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ "Lega A - Risoluzione consensuale tra la Sidigas Avellino e coach Vucinic" [A League - Consensual resolution between Sidigas Avellino and coach Vucinic]. pianetabasket.com (in Italian). 10 April 2019.
  7. ^ Naredo, Camille (10 February 2022). "Serbian coach Vucinic already working with Gilas". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  8. ^ Li, Matthew (1 February 2022). "Chot Reyes open to working with Tab Baldwin, Nenad Vucinic in Gilas". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  9. ^ Naredo, Camille (2 June 2022). "Nenad Vucinic to coach Gilas for FIBA window". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  10. ^ Dioquino, Delfin (8 July 2022). "Chot Reyes officially named Gilas Pilipinas' head coach for FIBA Asia Cup". Rappler. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  11. ^ "Coach Nenad Vucinic resigns from Gilas, Meralco posts". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  12. ^ Terrado, Reuben (19 August 2022). "SBP insists Nenad Vucinic and Gilas parted ways amicably". Sports Interactive Network Philippines. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  13. ^ "How Nenad went from leaving Gilas to winning PBA title at Meralco". Spin.ph. Retrieved 17 June 2024.

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