By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Joan Penarroya has signed a two-year contract to become the new head coach of Bitci Baskonia, the team announced Monday. Eurohoops had reported on the two-year deal in late May.
Penarroya, 53, was in charge of Valencia last season and was released last week. The one-year stint included reaching the Semifinals of the 7DAYS EuroCup and the Quarterfinals of the Liga Endesa Playoffs after finishing third in the Regular Season. Working for Hereda San Pablo Burgos from 2019 to 2021, he guided the team to a couple of Basketball Champions League titles in 2020 and 2021 and the FIBA Intercontinental Cup in 2021. MoraBanc Andorra from 2010 to 2018 and Baxi Manresa in 2018-19 shape additional head coaching experience.
Looking ahead to the next season, the Terrassa-born tactician, a former player with a career stretching nearly two decades, will be stepping up to debut in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague as the Baskonia boss. His new team finished the 2021-22 season with a 12-16 W-L tally, a couple of wins shy of a berth in the Playoffs. In the Spanish league, Baskonia ranked sixth in the Regular Season and edged out Valencia in the Quarterfinals best-of-three series before being on the receiving end of a three-game sweep from second-seeded Real Madrid.
Baskonia parted ways with the previous head coach, Neven Spahija, last Thursday. The Croatian play-caller had returned to the team based in Vitoria-Gasteiz for a second stint replacing Dusko Ivanovic in November. His efforts resulted in 27 wins over 53 games across all competitions.