By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
FC Barcelona hired Sarunas Jasikevicius to take over head coaching responsibilities, the Spanish powerhouse announced on Thursday. Zalgiris Kaunas confirmed his departure as well.
The new Barca coach inked a contract until the end of the 2022-23 season, the press release notes.
The Catalonia-based club made contact with the Lithuanian head coach following its decision to part ways with Svetislav Pesic, as reported by Eurohoops.
Jasikevicius, 44, was the head coach at Zalgiris Kaunas since 2016, joined the staff a couple of years earlier after concluding his successful run as a player, which included two stints with Barcelona.
“We were trying to keep Sarunas, but the competition for him was unbelievably large,” noted Zalgiris director Paulius Motiejunas, “However it may be, with him at the helm, both the team, and the entire Zalgiris organization made an incredible leap forward. We would like to thank the coach for all his work, and we wish him all the best in his career. Zalgiris’ doors are always open for him.”
The four-time EuroLeague champion and 2005 Final Four MVP stepped towards matching those triumphs as a coach guiding Zalgiris into the Final Four in 2018. At the domestic level, he won the LKL championship five times and added three Lithuanian cups to his former team’s vast list of titles. In addition, he was named Coach of the Year in Lithuania three years in a row, 2017, 2018, and 2019.
Darius Maskoliunas is the first option to take over at Zalgiris, according to Donatas Urbonas. However, the 49-year-old Lithuanian is among current staff members of the Kaunas team that might follow Jasikevicius to Spain.
As a Barcelona player, Jasikevicius captured a EuroLeague title in 2003, two ACB championships, and three Copa del Rey trophies. He remained with the Blaugrana from 2000 to 2003 and returned for the 2012-13 season.