The most successful coach in German basketball is returning to Munich once again: Svetislav Pesic will take over as head coach of FC Bayern Basketball until the end of the season. The experienced Serbian coach was the national coach of his home country until this past summer. He is taking over on short notice from Gordon Herbert, with whom the German champions mutually agreed on an early departure on Saturday. Under Coach Pesic, FCBB won its first BBL title in 2014.
“Svetislav knows Munich, he knows Bayern and both leagues; some of us also know him very well – so his adjustment period should be short. That, along with his enormous experience, gives us a good feeling about this decision,” says FCBB sporting director Dragan Tarlac.
Svetislav Pesic, 76, first took over Bayern in the fall of 2012 and coached them until 2016. His greatest successes include the 2002 World Championship title with the former Yugoslavia, the 1993 European Championship triumph with Germany (and also with Yugoslavia in 2001), and the triple in Spain including the EuroLeague win with FC Barcelona in 2003. With Alba Berlin, he won five championships and two cups. In 2024, he won the Olympic bronze medal game with Serbia against the German national team. Bayern playmaker Stefan Jovic was part of his squad, and Tarlac also worked for the Serbian federation at that time. FCBB captain Vladimir Lucic also played numerous international matches under Pesic, who once appointed him captain of the national team.
Svetislav Pesic introduced himself to the team on Monday afternoon and then appeared at a press conference together with President Herbert Hainer and Tarlac. Bayern’s next game is the EuroLeague home game on Tuesday evening at the SAP Garden against league leaders Hapoel Tel Aviv (7:30 p.m.).