Basketball Sphere brings you its annual power rankings of the 20 EuroLeague head coaches ahead of the 2026-27 season.
The summer brings plenty of excitement when it comes to EuroLeague player and coach movement. You can follow every move in detail through our real-time EUROLEAGUE TRANSACTIONS tracker, while Basketball Sphere also brings you its traditional preseason Power Rankings of all 20 head coaches ahead of the new season.
1) Georgios Bartzokas
Winning the EuroLeague title usually puts you at the top of this list, especially when you’ve also led your team to the Final Four in each of the previous five seasons. Georgios Bartzokas finally managed to return Olympiacos to the top of European basketball in May. The Reds had waited 13 years to lift Europe’s most prestigious trophy again, and they finally got it done.
Bartzokas deserves a great deal of credit for that success. After returning to the club in 2020, he gradually turned Olympiacos into a contender. In 2023, one Sergio Llull shot over Moustapha Fall separated the team from Piraeus from the title, but luck wasn’t on their side. That changed last season, and Bartzokas captured the second EuroLeague title of his coaching career. He was also the one who led Olympiacos to its previous championship in 2013. In addition to all the trophies, under his leadership Sasha Vezenkov developed into one of the most dominant players in European basketball.
2) Sarunas Jasikevicius
Twelve months ago, Sarunas Jasikevicius sat at the top of the Basketball Sphere EuroLeague Coaches Power Rankings. This time, we’ve given the edge to coach Bartzokas for the reasons mentioned above. However, Jasikevicius once again proved last season that he is arguably the best coach in the game today. The Lithuanian had to deal with several key departures, including Nigel Hayes-Davis and Marko Guduric, yet Fenerbahce still looked like a powerhouse, especially on the defensive end, where they consistently posted by far the best defensive rating.
In the end, their EuroLeague campaign came to an end with a loss to Olympiacos in the semifinals. But considering that Fenerbahce didn’t have a single elite center, lacked the same quality at the power forward position they had when Hayes-Davis was on the roster, and that newcomers such as Armando Bacot, Brandon Boston, and Mikael Jantunen failed to live up to expectations, simply reaching the Final Four has to be considered a success. With a significantly upgraded roster this summer, coach Jasikevicius will be aiming to win his second EuroLeague title.
3) Zeljko Obradovic
No one will ever surpass Zeljko Obradovic when it comes to success in the coaching profession in Europe. Nine EuroLeague titles with five different clubs have firmly established him as the greatest coach in the history of European basketball. His stint with his beloved Partizan didn’t end the way he had hoped, and aside from the 2022-23 season, the club’s EuroLeague results fell short of expectations. Because of that, many began to question whether he could still perform at the highest level, and the answer will come in the months ahead.
Obradovic’s return to Panathinaikos was the biggest blockbuster move of the EuroLeague offseason, and everyone is eagerly waiting to see how his second stint in Athens unfolds. The signings of Sylvain Francisco, Guerschon Yabusele, Isaac Bonga, and Brancou Badio have made the Greens, alongside Olympiacos, the biggest favorites to win the title. And if there’s anyone who knows how to lift the EuroLeague trophy, it’s Obradovic. He won it five times with Panathinaikos.
4) Dimitris Itoudis
Last season with Hapoel Tel Aviv can be considered one of the most turbulent of Dimitris Itoudis‘ coaching career. Against all expectations, his team dominated the EuroLeague in October and November, once again showing why the Greek tactician has been regarded as one of the best European coaches for more than a decade. However, a major slump followed, leading Israeli media to frequently speculate that Itoudis could be fired, and even he did not shy away from addressing those questions during press conferences.
In the end, Hapoel Tel Aviv’s season ended without a single trophy and without a Final Four appearance in the EuroLeague. Maccabi Tel Aviv captured the domestic double in Israel, while Real Madrid eliminated Itoudis’ team in four games in the quarterfinals. Still, considering that it was Hapoel Tel Aviv’s first EuroLeague season and that they played most of their home games away from their own arena, there isn’t much to criticize Itoudis for. One thing is certain — he remains one of the best coaches in the game.
5) Xavi Pascual
When Xavi Pascual returned to Barcelona at the end of 2025, everyone expected him to take over a project he would lead for the foreseeable future. The reality turned out to be anything but that. His second stint on the bench of his beloved club ended without a single trophy and without a EuroLeague playoff appearance. It was the first time in Pascual’s career that he failed to reach the playoffs of Europe’s premier competition, after successfully doing so in all 12 previous attempts with three different clubs.
Poor results on the court, combined with major changes in key positions within Barcelona, led Pascual to activate his exit clause and continue his career with ambitious Dubai project. It appeared that the Spanish coach would receive the biggest contract in the history of European basketball coaching, but Dimitris Giannakopoulos had different plans, as Zeljko Obradovic’s contract surpassed even what was waiting for Pascual in Dubai. There, the 2010 EuroLeague champion with Barcelona will attempt to win the second title of his coaching career.
6) Pedro Martinez
Pedro Martinez‘s coaching abilities have never been in question. For several decades in Spain, he has been regarded as one of the best coaches the country has to offer. However, throughout his career, Martinez was never able to get the opportunity to lead a team on the biggest stage in the EuroLeague. In 2017, he guided Valencia to the first league title in club history in Liga Endesa, while his second stint with the team will be remembered forever. Valencia won a second domestic league championship, as well as the Spanish Super Cup, while becoming the biggest surprise of the EuroLeague season.
Reaching the Final Four with Valencia is undoubtedly one of the best coaching jobs of Martinez’s career, which ultimately earned him a call from Real Madrid — an opportunity he simply could not turn down. He himself stated that it would be one of the biggest challenge he has ever faced, and on our list, he secured a high sixth place. If he manages to bring the EuroLeague trophy back to Los Blancos in one of the upcoming seasons, he will undoubtedly further strengthen his legacy across the continent.
7) Pablo Laso
After a run of highly successful years with Real Madrid, where he won two EuroLeague titles and a number of domestic trophies in Spain, Pablo Laso‘s career took a slightly downward trajectory. With Bayern, he managed to win the domestic double and end the club’s five-year wait for a Bundesliga championship, but his team was not competitive in the EuroLeague despite having players such as Sylvain Francisco, Carsen Edwards, Serge Ibaka, and many others. He spent only one season back in his hometown of Vitoria-Gasteiz, leading Baskonia, and is now with Anadolu Efes.
Laso’s tenure in Turkey’s largest city did not get off to a strong start either. He took over the team from Igor Kokoskov at a very difficult moment and was never able to change the course of the season. Anadolu Efes was eliminated by Besiktas in both major domestic competitions, while they were never truly in contention for a top-10 finish in the EuroLeague. Still, coach Laso has been given a second chance with a significantly upgraded roster led by Mike James, and his two EuroLeague titles are enough to keep him highly respected in his profession.
8) Oded Kattash
Oded Kattash is set to begin his fifth season on the bench of Maccabi Tel Aviv, and only Georgios Bartzokas has a longer tenure with a EuroLeague club among active head coaches. When you know the level of pressure that comes with coaching Maccabi Tel Aviv, the fact that he has remained there for five years speaks for itself. And yet, everyone who follows European basketball knows what Kattash went through at the beginning of last season, and that only strengthened his position on this list.
In the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, Kattash managed to lead Maccabi Tel Aviv to the EuroLeague playoffs despite not having a top-eight roster on paper in either campaign. That made him a fan favorite, as the Pride of Israel had been far from the top of European basketball for many years. Still, last season will be viewed as a major success, as Maccabi Tel Aviv captured the domestic double in Israel against a highly respected Hapoel Tel Aviv side, while Kattash showed that he is gradually entering the circle of Europe’s elite coaches.
9) Tomas Masiulis
It would be difficult for any coach to imagine a better first season on the big stage than the one Tomas Masiulis had with Zalgiris. The team comfortably won both major trophies in Lithuania, while in the EuroLeague, they were the biggest surprise of the season behind Valencia. They came close to securing a top-four finish and home-court advantage in the playoffs, but ultimately fell short. In the end, they were eliminated by Fenerbahce in the quarterfinals in four games.
Zalgiris will try to repeat or even improve on that outstanding season. Although they lost a player like Francisco, the signings of Jonas Valanciunas, Carsen Edwards, Sterling Brown, and Saben Lee say enough about the club’s ambitions. More importantly, they received confirmation that coach Masiulis has developed tremendously under his longtime friend and colleague Sarunas Jasikevicius, and it would not be surprising to see Masiulis remain in Kaunas for many years to come.
10) Ibon Navarro
For some, this position might seem a bit high, but what Ibon Navarro has accomplished with Unicaja in recent years fully justifies talking about him as one of the most respected coaches in European basketball. He took over the sleeping giant from Malaga at a time when they were not even a playoff team in Liga Endesa, and through careful work, turned them into arguably the best team outside the EuroLeague between 2023 and 2025.
With Unicaja, Navarro managed to win the FIBA Champions League twice, while he also lifted the Copa del Rey trophy on two occasions against much more powerful EuroLeague clubs from Spain. He added one Spanish Super Cup trophy as well, and now he will try to lead Crvena Zvezda to the EuroLeague playoffs. The red-and-whites have not reached that stage in more than a decade, but they can certainly be optimistic about what coach Navarro brings. He also has EuroLeague experience from the 2014-15 season when he led Baskonia.
11) Dusan Alimpijevic
If we can say that Unicaja was the best team outside the EuroLeague between 2023 and 2025, then for several years now there has been a widespread belief in European basketball circles that Dusan Alimpijevic is the best coach not currently working in the EuroLeague. The Serbian national team head coach built his reputation in Turkey, where he first led Bursaspor to the EuroCup final as an absolute underdog, and then repeated the same feat with Besiktas last season, when they fell short against Bourg in the championship series.
Fortunately for everyone who supports the black-and-white side of Istanbul, the EuroLeague invitation arrived after Monaco was unable to secure the financial resources to continue participating, meaning Besiktas will return to Europe’s elite competition after more than a decade. As a result, coach Alimpijevic is also returning to the same stage, having previously led Crvena Zvezda during the 2017-18 season. Although he is only 40 years old, he already has 13 years of experience as a head coach behind him, and it would not be surprising if, over the next decade, we are talking about him as one of the best coaches in Europe.
12) Paolo Galbiati
Paolo Galbiati‘s coaching career has been rising at a meteoric pace over the past three years. He first drew attention with his phenomenal work at Trento, where he not only won the sensational 2025 Italian Cup, but also helped launch the careers of several talented players, including Saliou Niang, Quinn Ellis, and Myles Cale. That success earned him a call from Baskonia, where he quickly won over the club’s fan base, and he delivered the biggest moment of joy in February by winning the Copa del Rey despite entering the tournament as a major underdog.
Baskonia did not play a significant role in the EuroLeague last season, but that was not a surprise considering they had one of the weakest rosters on paper in the competition. Coach Galbiati got the absolute maximum out of his team during the Copa del Rey weekend, and that was more than enough for the season to be considered a success. Although his position was even in danger at one point, he managed to overcome that situation and eventually found himself in the running for the Barcelona job this summer. According to reports from Spain, a high exit clause prevented the move from happening.
13) Giuseppe Poeta
Giuseppe Poeta had been preparing for some time to take over Milano. After spending several seasons as Ettore Messina‘s right-hand man on the coaching staff, he moved to Brescia, where in his first season as a head coach he guided the team to the Serie A finals. A return to Milano followed with the idea of becoming the head coach starting with the 2026-27 season, but Messina’s decision to step down in early November forced Poeta to take over the reins in the fashion capital earlier than planned.
That decision by Messina proved to be a very good one, as Poeta got the absolute most out of the situation he inherited. Milano managed to win the domestic double in Italy in convincing fashion and reclaim the top spot from Virtus. They were unable to reach the EuroLeague Play-In, but injuries and several unlucky losses played a major role in that outcome. There were moments when they impressed, such as their victory over Panathinaikos in Athens, and the overall picture suggests that a promising coaching career is ahead of Poeta.
14) Joan Penarroya
Joan Penarroya‘s stock in the EuroLeague landscape has never quite reached the heights that his potential would suggest. The Spanish coach achieved impressive results while leading Andorra and Burgos. With the latter, he even won the FIBA Champions League twice, and it seemed like he could become one of the biggest revelations in the EuroLeague. However, after a strong start with Baskonia, things did not go as expected, and he was dismissed early in the 2023-24 season.
Penarroya’s big comeback came when he took the Barcelona job, where he managed to reach the EuroLeague quarterfinals and came within one step of the Final Four, but domestically his team struggled. They failed to reach the semifinals in any competition, which ultimately led to his time in Catalonia ending in the same way as his stint in Vitoria. Just when it seemed another EuroLeague opportunity would be difficult to come by, Partizan came calling. The season ended without a trophy, and Penarroya will now try to rewrite history and achieve success in Belgrade, while establishing himself as a respected EuroLeague coach.
15) Alex Mumbru
It is very difficult to position Alex Mumbru on this list based on what we have seen from his coaching career so far. He built his path in Bilbao, where he was also a club legend as a player, which eventually led him to Valencia. During his two years there, he produced some impressive wins, and at times it seemed like his team could compete for a top-10 spot in the EuroLeague, but they fell short every time. Something similar happened in domestic competitions in Spain.
Then, against all expectations, Mumbru received the opportunity to become the head coach of Germany. That is where he showed the full extent of his coaching ability. He even managed to improve on the foundation laid by Gordon Herbert. Although he handed over the coaching duties to his assistant Alan Ibrahimagic during EuroBasket due to his hospitalization, it was clear that Mumbru was the one making the key decisions. The result was a gold medal. Now, he returns to the EuroLeague to prove with Virtus that he belongs on the biggest stage in European basketball.
16) Anton Gavel
Among the five EuroLeague coaching rookies next season, the one who undoubtedly deserves the most attention based on what he has accomplished so far is Anton Gavel. This young coach has found success at every stop along his journey, and now he is expected to showcase his full coaching potential with Bayern. Gavel first entered the spotlight when he guided Ulm to the Bundesliga title in 2023, overcoming several much stronger opponents, including Bonn, which was led by T.J. Shorts at the time, as well as the EuroLeague clubs Alba Berlin and Bayern.
Many were surprised when Gavel left Ulm for Bamberg, a club that had been struggling near the bottom of the Bundesliga standings for years, but he managed to turn things around there as well. In February of this year, Bamberg captured the German Cup with sensational victories over Bayern and Alba Berlin, which ultimately earned Gavel the recognition as the country’s Coach of the Year. As a player, Gavel won the Bundesliga five times and represented Bayern in the EuroLeague. Now, he will have the opportunity to lead them as the head coach.
17) Aleksander Sekulic
Aleksander Sekulic has made the biggest impression as a coach in recent years while leading Slovenia national team to significant success on the international stage. The highlight came with a fourth-place finish at the 2020 Olympic Games. He built his club career through the VTB League, where he coached Lokomotiv Kuban and Zenit in recent years, before receiving the call from Dubai in April following Jurica Golemac‘s dismissal. Sekulic accepted the opportunity with open arms and made the most of the situation.
Throughout the ABA League playoffs, Dubai established itself as by far the best team in the competition, and they cashed in when it mattered most, defeating Partizan in four games in the finals. It was the biggest achievement of Sekulic’s coaching career and confirmation that he belongs on the biggest stage. Barcelona recognized that and decided to trust him with leading the Catalan giant in the upcoming season. The pressure will be enormous, but there is no doubt that Sekulic is ready for the challenge.
18) Maxime Lefevre
One of the new head coaches in the EuroLeague next season will be Maxime Lefevre, who remains largely unknown to the wider European basketball audience. Paris has become known for giving opportunities to young and promising coaches, and this is simply a continuation of that philosophy, which has produced strong results in recent years. Lefevre spent seven years as an assistant with the Minnesota Timberwolves, and everyone is familiar with Paris’ basketball identity — a lot of pace, constant running, and transition-oriented solutions similar to many NBA teams.
Several other names with strong NBA backgrounds, including Dave Joerger, were considered for the Paris head coaching job, but ultimately Lefevre got the opportunity. This will be the biggest challenge of his coaching career, but the primary goal will be maintaining the recognizable style that Paris has built. That identity has often been a major advantage when facing much more established clubs. Lefevre will also try to avoid repeating the mistakes of Francesco Tabellini, who did not last long in the French capital.
19) Xavi Albert
Valencia was left stunned when Pedro Martinez decided to leave the club and move to Real Madrid after winning the Liga Endesa title. According to sources within the club, all plans for the upcoming season had been built around Martinez, and Spanish media reports suggested they were disappointed by his decision. However, Los Blancos are not an opportunity you turn down, and last season’s biggest EuroLeague surprise had to react quickly. In the end, they decided to give the opportunity to the promising Xavi Albert, who has been with the club as an assistant since 2023.
Albert also had a brief stint as Valencia’s head coach in the past following Alex Mumbru’s dismissal. He led the team for several games, including EuroLeague matchups late in the season, and is undoubtedly more familiar with the system than anyone else. There is no doubt that Taronges will continue to play at a high pace, with plenty of running and transition opportunities, and it will be up to coach Albert to seize this opportunity and build his coaching reputation on the biggest stage. The challenge will be enormous.
20) Tony Parker
Tony Parker will lead Asvel as head coach next season, marking his first such challenge in his career. Since 2017, he has been the majority owner, president, and the key figure behind this project, but now he will run it directly from the sideline. During the summer, the ambition was to build one of the strongest rosters in the EuroLeague, but what followed was a complete collapse of those plans. Signings such as Sylvain Francisco, Armoni Brooks, and Daniel Theis left before even officially joining the team, leaving Asvel facing an uncertain future.
Although the club from Villeurbanne has suggested that it will compete in the EuroLeague with a smaller budget than initially planned, the big question is how motivated Parker will be. His expectation was to have an ambitious roster capable of competing for a playoff spot, but that will no longer be the case. The situation is far from ideal for the greatest French basketball player of all time, and it remains to be seen how he will handle this new challenge, where coaching experience is certainly something he lacks.
HOW WE CREATED EUROLEAGUE COACH POWER RANKINGS?
If you’re wondering how we put together this ranking and what criteria we used, here’s the answer.
We applied three main parameters: the overall result each coach has achieved in their career as a head coach, their performance in the previous season, and the general impression and impact they’ve made across all competitions over the past five years.
