By Kostas Giataganas/ info@eurohoops.net
In order to build the mentality of a winner you first have to defend your “home” effectively. But in order to take the extra step and reach the top, you have to win regardless of the circumstances and the home court advantage.
Obradovic knows this very well and he makes sure he wins… everywhere! Whether with Panathinaikos or Fenerbahce, the multi-winning Serbian coach isn’t really affected by home courts in the EuroLeague and he has registered a unique record as he became the first coach to break the barrier of 100 away wins in the modern era of the competition (since 2000)!
The away win over CSKA in overtime (93-95) was number 100 for Zots, who also added the 101st in Vitoria over Baskonia (69-83), on a court where he has struggled for many years (he hadn’t prevailed in Basque country since 2002, counting seven defeats in a row), to take his total number of wins to 253, which of course ranks him first on the list.
Prompted by Obradovic’s record, it’s interesting to… sift through the rest of the list of coaches with the most away wins in the EuroLeague. In the second place, now an assistant coach in the San Antonio Spurs, is Ettore Messina (91 wins), while in third place with 71 away wins, is Panathinaikos’s coach, Xavi Pascual, who of course celebrated most of those when he was still in charge of Barcelona.
The former coach of the Greens, Dusko Ivanovic (67), and a EuroLeague Legend now, Dusan Ivkovic (53), round off the Top 5, while there is also a Greek presence in the Top 10, with Dimitris Itoudis (33)!
What is noteworthy is that, since 2014, CSKA’s Greek coach has the best percentage in away wins, as he exceeds 70,2% (33/47), surpassing Messina’s 65,4% success rate, with Pascual exceeding 59% respectively.
Check out the Top 10 of “road” coaches
| Coach | Teams | Record | Winning percentage |
| Zeljko Obradovic | Panathinaikos, Fenerbahce | 101-71 | 58,7% |
| Ettore Messina | Κinder Bologna, Benetton Treviso, CSKA Moscow, Real Madrid | 91-48 | 65,4% |
| Xavi Pascual | Barcelona, Panathinaikos | 71-49 | 59,1% |
| Dusko Ivavovic | Baskonia, Barcelona, Panathinaikos, Khimki | 67-83 | 44,6% |
| Dusan Ivkovic | AEK, CSKA Moscow, Dynamo Moscow, Olympiacos, Anadolu Efes | 53-43 | 55,2% |
| David Blatt | Maccabi Tel Aviv, Benetton Treviso, Anadolu Efes, Darussafaka | 52-64 | 44,8% |
| Pablo Laso | Real Madrid | 48-37 | 56,4% |
| Oktay Mahmuti | Εφές Πίλσεν, Γαλατασαράι, Νταρουσάφακα | 47-63 | 42,7% |
| Jasmin Repesa | Cibona, Slask, Skipper Bologna, Roma, Unicaja Malaga, Cedevita, Olimpia Milano | 39-67 | 36,7% |
| Dimitris Itoudis | CSKA Moscow | 33-14 | 70,2% |
Zeljko Obradovic (101 wins – 71 losses / 58,7%)
Ettore Messina (91 wins – 48 losses / 65,4%)
Xavi Pascual (71 wins – 49 losses / 59,1%)
We got to know him as Barcelona’s coach, a post that lasted eight years, during which time he won the EuroLeague in 2010 and put together an excellent percentage in away clashes. In 120 excursions, Pascual has 71 wins, with a rate of 59,1% and is in third place on the list with the most away wins, 64 of those being with Barca and seven with the Greens – five last season and two this season so far.
One of the most experienced coaches in the EuroLeague is Dusko Ivanovic, who, mainly with Baskonia and Barcelona but also with Panathinaikos and Khimki, has given a lot of battles and has left with the away win 67 times in 150 games, having reached the Final of 2005 with the Basques.
David Blatt (52 wins – 64 losses / 44,8%)
The American-Israeli coach has set a golden path in the EuroLeague, with a long-term service in Maccabi, either on the side of Pini Gershon or as head coach. It was as the head coach that he won the title in 2014, having reached the final a previous time in 2011. In 116 away games, he has 52 wins with Maccabi, Benetton, Efes, and Darussafaka, so he… barely missed the Top 5, something that will happen upon his return to the competition.