Dragan Šakota

Dragan Šakota (Serbian Cyrillic: Драган Шакота, Greek: Ντράγκαν Σάκοτα; born June 16, 1952) is a Serbian–Greek[2][3] professional basketball coach, executive and former player.

Dragan Šakota
Šakota, in 2006.
Personal information
Born (1952-06-16) 16 June 1952
Belgrade, PR Serbia, FPR Yugoslavia
NationalitySerbian / Greek[1]
Listed height6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Career information
NBA draft1974 / Undrafted
Playing career1972–1983
PositionHead coach
Coaching career1983–present
Career history
As player:
1972–1983IMT
As coach:
1983–1988IMT
1988–1989Zadar
1989–1990Yugoslavia (assistant)
1989–1990Cibona
1990–1991PAOK
1992–1993Apollon Patras
1993–1994Iraklis
1994–1995PAOK
1995–1997Peristeri
1998–2000Iraklis
1999FR Yugoslavia (assistant)
2000–2001Aris
2001–2003AEK Athens
2003–2004Olympiacos
2004–2005Serbia and Montenegro (assistant)
2005–2007Crvena zvezda
2006Serbia and Montenegro
2008Fortitudo Bologna
2010–2011Trabzonspor
2011–2012Antalya BB
2014–2016,
2017–2018		AEK Athens
2019–2020Crvena zvezda
Career highlights and awards
As head coach:

Playing career

Šakota spent the entire playing career with the Belgrade-based team IMT. He played there from 1972 to 1983.

Coaching career

Šakota has been the head coach of many top European clubs (mostly Greek) such as: Aris, Iraklis, Peristeri, Apollon, PAOK, AEK Athens, Crvena zvezda, Zadar, and Cibona, among others.[4] Šakota took over at Fortitudo Bologna, from Andrea Mazzone, who got fired due to poor results, in early January 2008, mid-season 2007–08.[5] At the time, the club had a 7–10 record in their Italian national domestic league, and a 3–4 record in the EuroCup.

Šakota finished the 2007–08 season at the club, and also started the 2008–09 season there. In mid-December 2008, he got fired and was replaced by Cesare Pancotto.[6] On November 16, 2011, Šakota became the new head coach of the Turkish Super League club Antalya Büyükşehir Belediyesi, replacing Serdar Apaydın, but after a few months he was fired again.

In 2014, he returned to AEK Athens.[7] He was AEK's head coach from 2014 to 2016, and from 2016 to 2017, he was the club's sports director. He became AEK's head coach again in 2017, and with them, he won the FIBA Champions League and the Greek Cup titles, in 2018.

On November 23, 2019, he was named the head coach for the Belgrade-based team Crvena zvezda, for the second time in his career.[8][9] On 8 June 2020, Šakota parted ways with the Zvezda.[10]

National team coaching career

Šakota was an assistant coach of the senior Yugoslav national basketball team, from 1989 to 1990, working as an assistant coach with Yugoslavia at the 1990 FIBA World Championship. He was then an assistant coach of the senior FR Yugoslav national basketball team, at the EuroBasket 1999. He was also an assistant coach of the senior Serbia and Montenegro national basketball team, from 2004 to 2005, working as an assistant at both the 2004 Summer Olympic Games and the EuroBasket 2005.

In 2006, Šakota was the head coach of the Serbia and Montenegro national basketball team at the 2006 FIBA World Championship. Serbia and Montenegro finished the World Championship in 11th place, which was the lowest place finish ever for the Serbian national team at the tournament.[11][12]

Personal life

Šakota's son, Dušan Šakota, is a professional basketball player, while his other son, Miloš Šakota, is a retired professional basketball player, and professional basketball coach. Šakota hold both Serbian and Greek citizenship.[13][14][15] He speaks Serbian, English, and Greek fluently.

See also

References
  1. DRAGAN SAKOTA.
  2. Dragan Sakota Nationality: Serbia/Greece.
  3. Dragan Sakota returns to AEK BC.
  4. Šakota bio while with AEK.
  5. Dragan Šakota preuzeo Fortitudo.;Blic, 2 January 2008
  6. Fortitudo signs Cesare Pancotto, replaces Dragan Sakota.;EuroCupBasketball, 10 December 2008
  7. Dragan Sakota returns to AEK BC.
  8. "Dragan Šakota novi trener Crvene zvezde". mozzartsport.com (in Serbian). 23 November 2019. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  9. Zvezda brings back Sakota as head coach.
  10. "Šakota na rastanku sa Zvezdom: Vreme je za mlađeg..." mozzartsport.com. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  11. Šakota prihvatio mjesto selektora
  12. SERBIA & MONTENEGRO's ROSTER.
  13. Dragan Sakota Nationality: Serbia/Greece.
  14. Dragan Sakota returns to AEK BC.
  15. DRAGAN SAKOTA.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.