By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Ergin Ataman is officially the new head coach of Panathinaikos. As the Greens announced, the Turkish coach and two-time EuroLeague champion signed a contract to take over the team until 2025.
“My feelings being here as head coach of Panathinaikos are wonderful,” Ataman said per Panathinaikos. “I’ve been at OAKA many times as an opponent but now we are all together and ready with big goals.”
“I’m optimistic of course. Why else be here? OAKA is a place of many titles and memories. Panathinaikos is one of the biggest teams in Europe and now it’s time for the return to years of success.”
Ataman moves to Panathinaikos spending the previous six seasons with Anadolu Efes. Under his leadership, Efes was established as a EuroLeague powerhouse and ultimately won the back-to-back EuroLeague championships of 2021 and 2022.
Last season Efes won the Turkish BSL title following a disappointing season in EuroLeague that ended with the team missing the playoffs. Ataman had said that a “change is required” for both him and Efes.
Panathinaikos comes from one of the poorest two-year stretches in club history. The six-time continental champions were eliminated from playoff contention in EuroLeague relatively early in both 2022 and 2023 while failing to win any domestic title these two years apart from the 2021 SuperCup.
During a head coach career that began back in 1996, Ataman has also won the 2016 EuroCup with Galatasaray and 2012 EuroChallenge with Besiktas, along with 20 titles on a domestic level, including six BSL championships. He was named the EuroLeague Coach of the Year in 2021.
Photo: Panathinaikos