Igor Miličić (born June 9, 1976) is a Croatian-Polish professional basketball coach and former player who is head coach for Napoli Basket of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) and the Poland men's national basketball team.

Igor Miličić
Miličić in 2022
Napoli Basket
PositionHead coach
LeagueLega Basket Serie A
Personal information
Born (1976-06-09) June 9, 1976 (age 47)
Slavonski Brod, Croatia, Yugoslavia
NationalityCroatian/Polish
Listed height196 cm (6 ft 5 in)
Career information
NBA draft1998: undrafted
Playing career1996–2013
PositionGuard
Coaching career2013–present
Career history
As player:
1993–1996Split
1996–1997Kvarner
1997–1999Split
1999–2000UMKS Kielce
2000Polonia Warsaw
2000–2002Prokom Sopot
2002–2003AZS Koszalin
2003–2004Iraklis
2004Trepça
2005Tuborg Pilsener
2005–2006Belfius Mons-Hainaut
2006–2007Türk Telekom
2007Enisey
2007–2008Prokom Sopot
2008–2013AZS Koszalin
As coach:
2014–2015AZS Koszalin
2015–2020Włocławek
2020–2022Stal Ostrów Wielkopolski
2021–presentPoland
2022–2023Beşiktaş
2023–presentNapoli Basket
Career highlights and awards
As player:

As head coach:

Medals
Men's Basketball
Representing  Croatia
FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship
Silver medal – second place 1994 Israel U-18 Team

Professional playing career edit

Miličić was one of the most talented players of the Split youth teams in the 1990-s. As the starting playmaker he was one the leaders of the Croatia national under-18 basketball team that won silver at the 1994 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship. After suffering a serious injury and a long recovery time, he moved to the Polish Basketball League. In Poland he became one of the best players of the league.[1]

National team career edit

Miličić was named in the roster of the Croatia men's national basketball team in February 1998 for a FIBA EuroBasket 1999 qualification match against Netherlands. This was the only time he was in the roster failing to appear on court.[2]

Coaching career edit

Miličoć retired in 2013 as a player of AZS Koszalin. He stayed in the same club as an assistant coach for Zoran Sretenović. After a series of bad results and head coach changes, Miličić was named the head coach. Under coach Miličić the team won nine out of last ten games of the 2013–14 PLK season, making it the playoffs. In the next season, he led the team to the 3rd position before playoffs. He later led Anwil Włocławek to two winning two Polish League championships and Stal Ostrów Wielkopolski to another one, establishing himself as one of the best coaches in Poland.[3]

In December 2022, Miličić took over Beşiktaş of the Turkish Super League.[4]

On June 16, 2023, he signed with Napoli Basket of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA).[5]

National team coaching career edit

Miličić took over the Poland men's national basketball team in 2021. He led Poland to fourth place at the EuroBasket 2022, surprisingly defeating Slovenia in the quarterfinals.

Personal life edit

Miličić's sons Igor Jr. (born 2002), Zoran (born 2006) and Teo (born 2008) all successfully play basketball. Igor Jr. played at the FIBA U20 European Championship and debuted for the senior Poland men's national basketball team.[6]

References edit

  1. ^ "Kako je prognanik postao kralj" (in Croatian). telesport.telegram.hr. 9 June 2018. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  2. ^ "STATISTIKA - HRVATSKI REPREZENTATIVCI" (PDF) (in Croatian). Croatian Basketball Federation. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  3. ^ "Profesor Miličić" (in Croatian). telesport.telegram.hr. 19 September 2022. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  4. ^ "Igor Miličić preuzima turski Bešiktaš" (in Croatian). basketball.hr. 24 December 2022. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  5. ^ "Igor Miličić is officially the new head coach of GeVi Napoli". Sportando. June 16, 2023. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  6. ^ "Igor Milicic FIBA profile". FIBA. Retrieved 12 December 2022.

External links edit