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Basketball: Poland drops US coach

28.09.2021 15:00
American Mike Taylor is no longer the coach of the Polish men's national basketball team, the Polish Basketball Association has announced.
Mike Taylor
Mike TaylorPhoto: PAP/Leszek Szymański

Taylor became Poland coach in January 2014 to replace German Dirk Bauermann.

He led the Polish team in two European championships and also took it the 2019 World Cup in China, where the Poles reached the quarterfinals.

The Poles’ 80-69 win against Venezuela in their opening match of the tournament in Beijing marked Poland's first basketball World Cup victory in 52 years.

Under Taylor, Poland significantly improved its position in the FIBA world ranking, currently sitting in 13th place.

During Taylor's seven years with the team, it played 111 games, winning 60 and losing 51. Only Poland's homegrown famous coach Witold Zagórski (1961-1975) led the national team longer than Taylor.

Taylor is set to be succeeded by Igor Milicić, a Croat with a Polish passport, broadcaster TVP Sport has reported.

Milicić has long been tipped to become the next coach of the Polish team, according to TVP Sport.

The 45-year-old Milicić has been the most successful coach in Polish club basketball in recent years. He has won three national championship titles, with Anwil Włocławek in 2018 and 2019, and with the Ostrów Wielkopolski team this year.

(jh/gs)

Source: PAP, TVP Sport