By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Kazys Maksvytis is the new head coach of Manisa.
A few days after dismissing Ertug Tuzcukaya, the Turkish club named the next head coach on Tuesday.
Maksvytis, 47, signed a contract until the end of the 2025-26 season.
A former selector of the senior national team of Lithuania, he also worked for Zalgiris from late in the 2021-22 season to early in the 2023-24 season. With the Kaunas outfit, he won the Betsafe LKL Championship and the King Mindaugas Cup in 2023 and reached the Playoffs of the 2022-23 edition of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. At the helm of Lithuania, he guided his country to sixth place in the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
His first job in Turkiye coincides with his return to the Basketball Champions League, after introducing himself to the top-tier club continental competition of FIBA Europe with Neptunas in 2017.
Taking over from Tuzcukaya, his new side sits at 3-1 in Group H of the BCL Regular Season, tied with UCAM Murcia. With two fixtures left in the double-legged round-robin schedule, a two-game advantage over FMP Soccerbet and Peristeri Domino’s puts Manisa in a commanding position for at least a second opportunity to advance to the Round of 16 through a best-of-three Play-In series.
The domestic situation is far worse. An 0-6 start places the team based in western Turkiye at the bottom of the Turkiye Sigorta Basketbol Super Ligi standings. The next game is against Turk Telekom in Ankara Arena on Saturday.