This morning (Friday) David Blatt signed a contract to serve as head coach of Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv for the next three seasons. “I’m happy to come home,” said Blatt. “We’ve got a long, tough road ahead and hopefully, a successful one.”
By Amy Samin
Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv has signed David Blatt to a three year contract as head coach of the club; it is Blatt’s second term on the coaching staff of Maccabi.
After the deal was made Blatt said, “I’m happy to come home.
It’s a big honor for me to continue Pini Gershon’s work with the club.
We’ve got a long, tough road ahead and hopefully, a successful one.”
“I want to bring Maccabi back to its natural place, in Israel and in Europe,” Blatt continued.
“We’ll achieve that through determination, character and commitment to excellence.
I want to put Maccabi Tel Aviv back into people’s hearts, because there are a lot of people who love this wonderful club, and want it to succeed.
Together, I believe we will.”
Shimon Mizrahi, Maccabi’s chairman of the board, said, “We’re delighted that David Blatt has signed on as coach of Maccabi Tel Aviv.
He’s a respected coach who has already led the team in the past, and no one can dispute his ability.
Now everything has been finalized and it’s time to get to work.”
David Blatt, 51, who was born in Boston, Massachusetts, began his career in basketball at Princeton University, where he played from 1977 to 1981.
After winning a gold medal with team U.S.A. in the Maccabiah Games in 1981, Blatt decided to play basketball in Israel. He played for Haifa, Netanya, Galil and Jerusalem.
His coaching career began during the 1987 – 1988 season, when he took over from Arik Shivak at Maccabi Netanya as a player/coach.
He went on to become the assistant coach of Galil Elyon in 1993 – 1994, once again replacing Shivak mid-season.
He remained in the same position through the 1998 – 1999 season, during which time he served as assistant coach to Pini Gershon, and twice was named Coach of the Year.
Blatt’s career with Maccabi Tel Aviv began with the 1999 – 2000 season, when he again served as assistant coach to Pini Gershon.
The team reached the final game of the European Final Four in Thessaloniki, where they lost to Oded Katash and Panathinaikos.
At the end of the following season, the team won the Euroleague championship in Paris.
In 2001 – 2002 he took over the reigns of the Maccabi empire, and led Maccabi to the Euroleague semi-finals in Bologna, losing there to Panathinaikos.
The following year he reached the finals in the Adriatic League, and was again named Coach of the Year in Israel.
In 2003 – 2004 Pini Gershon returned as head coach of Maccabi, with Blatt remaining as assistant coach, and the team went on to win the Euroleague title in an unforgettable game against Skipper Bologna, which took place in Tel Aviv.
In 2004 – 2005, Blatt left Maccabi Tel Aviv and coached forward David Bluthenthal on the Russian team Dynamo St. Petersburg., which went on to win the Euroleague championship.
Blatt was named Coach of the Year in Russia.
The following season Blatt moved on to Benetton Treviso; in his two years there he won the Italian championship and two Cups.
The same season, he was chosen to coach the Russian national team, which in 2007 he led to their historic first Eurobasket Championship after defeating Spain, the team favored to win.
Blatt became the first Israeli coach to ever win that title.
The following two seasons Blatt coached both Efes Pilsen and Dynamo Moscow, not finishing the season with either team due to professional and economic problems suffered by both clubs.
In the middle of last season, Blatt was named coach of Aris Thessaloniki; the team finished in seventh place in the Greek League.
They were eliminated during the quarter-finals of the Eurocup by Neven Spahija’s Valencia. Thus far in his career, David Blatt has won six local championships, three European championships and seven cups, most of which were during his tenure with Maccabi Tel Aviv.
