Former sports director and former coach of KK Cedevita, 48-year-old Veljko Mršić, is the new coach of the Croatia national basketball team, the Croatian champion announced on their official website, reports HRT on May 2, 2019.
The decision was made at the Management Board session of the Croatian Basketball Federation, where, at the suggestion of the Expert Council, the previous coach Dražen Anzulović was relieved. The press conference at which the new national team coach will be presented will be held on Friday at noon.
In KK Cedevita, Veljko Mršić led the juniors with whom he became Croatian champions. When Jasmin Repeša was announced as a coach, Mršić became his assistant and as a part of his team won the first Croatian senior club title for the club. As the first coach, succeeding Repeša, Mršić won 3 Croatian championship titles, 2 Krešimir Ćosić Cups, and the culmination was entering the TOP 16 in Euroliga. In November 2018, Mršić returned to the position of sports director at KK Cedevita, now leaving to lead the Croatia national basketball team.
Mršić is now moving to reconstruct the national team, with whom he will play in the European Championship in 2021 without NBA players.
Recall, former national team coach Dražen Anzulović failed to place at this year's World Cup in China.
KK Cedevita’s statement transmitted in full below:
“The Croatia national basketball team will receive a new coach. It will be the former sports director of KK Cedevita, 48-year-old Veljko Mršić, who, due to new commitments, is leaving the club's current position. Veljko Mršić led the KK Cedevita juniors with whom he won the title of Croatian champion. With the arrival of Jasmin Repeša as a coach, Mršić became his assistant and as a part of his team won the first Croatian senior club title for the club. As the first coach, succeeding Repeša, he won 3 Croatian championship titles, 2 Krešimir Ćosić Cups, and the culmination was entering the TOP 16 in Euroliga. In November 2018, he returned to the position of the KK Cedevita sports director, now leaving for the national basketball team of Croatia. Veljko did not let the club stand in the way of new challenges, and on this occasion, he cared about the progress of the Croatian Basketball Federation and our team, as well as the rise of basketball in Croatia. KK Cedevita wishes Veljko Mršić lots of luck in his career and thanks him for everything he has done for the club. We emphasize that we will be at his disposal with all his future needs working in and around the Croatia basketball team.”
Hvala i sretno Veljko Mršić! #samojako ⚫?https://t.co/z3Ynv1ewx7 pic.twitter.com/N3cb5ALFuJ
— KK Cedevita (@KKCedevita) May 2, 2019
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