Appointments, contract extensions and every Basketball Sphere story — updated automatically.
- Role
- Free agent
- Team
- Olimpia Milano (until 2026)
- Nationality
- Italy
- Born
- 30 Sep 1959
Ettore Messina has won four EuroLeague titles. Two came with Virtus Bologna, two with CSKA Moscow. He was born in Catania on 30 September 1959. He has no club at the moment.
Milano was his last job. He took it in 2019 and won the Italian league three times. He resigned in November 2025, in the middle of a season. He said he had become a distraction.
Peppe Poeta took over from him. Messina stayed on to help the club off the court. His contract ran out in June 2026. He is 66, and without a team.
The road before Milano was long. He coached Treviso, Real Madrid and CSKA twice. Between those jobs he went to the NBA, twice.
FAQ About Ettore Messina
Has Ettore Messina coached Italy?
Twice. He had the national team from 1993 to 1997, and took silver at EuroBasket 1997. He returned for a second spell between 2015 and 2017. Those are his only national team jobs.
What did he do in the NBA?
Two spells, neither as a head coach. He was a consultant for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2011-12, then spent five years in San Antonio as an assistant to Gregg Popovich, from 2014 to 2019. He went back to Europe after that.
What does he think about NBA Europe?
He is wary of it. Speaking in Split in August 2026, he warned that clubs have to spend heavily just to get near the project, and that “some will be happy to participate, while others will burn themselves out”. He also said nobody yet understands what the model really is.
Coaching record
Ettore Messina resigns as Olimpia Milano head coachCoaching Change
Latest news
- Ettore Messina returns to NBA with Atlanta Hawks
- Giuseppe Poeta reveals how Ettore Messina and Gianmarco Pozzecco changed his path
- Ettore Messina discusses Italy, NBA Europe and the future of European basketball
- Top 10 big-name EuroLeague coaches currently without a club
- Milano’s new era takes shape with Moses Wright and Garrison Mathews as Daniele Baiesi reveals vision
- Ettore Messina opens up on Milano exit: My task had come to an end after Armani’s death
- Ettore Messina parts ways with Milano
- Igor Kokoskov on his next job: Even a fool can find something to do at a wedding
- Ettore Messina on Zeljko Obradovic’s return to Panathinaikos: Bad news for his opponents
- Rome’s basketball boom: Matiasic eyeing new franchise with Messina and Savic at the helm
- CSKA responds and downs Lokomotiv Kuban to tie series at 1-1 in VTB League playoffs
- (VIDEO) CSKA celebrates 20th anniversary of EuroLeague title in unique way
