By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Ainaras Bagatskis is officially the new head coach of the Ukrainian national team. The Latvian coach is replacing Vitaly Stepanovsky to return at the helm of Ukraine after his previous stint in 2019-2023.
Bagatskis, currently also the coach of Romanian club CSO Voluntari, had led Ukraine in the 2022 EuroBasket where the team qualified to the Round of 16 and finished 11th overall. He left after his contract with the Federation expired upon the completion of the 2023 World Cup Qualifiers.
Throughout his career, Bagatskis has worked with several Ukrainian clubs, including powerhouse Budivelnyk. He’s coached in the EuroLeague with Maccabi Tel Aviv, Zalgiris Kaunas, Nizhny Novgorod and Budivelnyk.
Ukraine is 0-4 in Group A of the 2025 EuroBasket Qualifiers but still have chances to advance if they win against Slovenia and Portugal in February’s Window while Israel beats Portugal. Slovenia and Israeli have already qualified at 3-1 respectively while Portugal stands at 2-2.