Maccabi Tel Aviv signs Guy Goodes as new head coach

Assistant coach Goodes signs two year deal to take over from his mentor David Blatt atop Israeli basketball powerhouse.

By ALLON SINAI
Guy Goodes (photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
Guy Goodes
(photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
After spending the past four seasons as an assistant coach to David Blatt, Guy Goodes will step into the big shoes left by his mentor, signing a two-year contract as the head coach of Maccabi Tel Aviv on Thursday.
The 43-year-old also played for Maccabi for eight seasons between 1990 and 1998, retiring in 2004 following an injury ravaged career. He moved straight into coaching, guiding Maccabi Rishon Lezion for two seasons (2004-06) before returning to the yellow-and-blue as an assistant for two years (2006-08). Goodes left Maccabi for the head coaching position at Hapoel Jerusalem in 2008, but was brought back to Nokia Arena in 2010 to work under Blatt.
“In the past four seasons Goodes has been David Blatt's top assistant and right hand man and he has played a significant part in the team's success in general and especially in the past season,” read a Maccabi statement. “Maccabi puts an emphasis on the importance of continuity in the team. Maccabi is proud that it promotes not just players, but also great coaches, and with Blatt's move to the best league in the world, Maccabi sees Guy Goodes as the natural and best choice to lead the team forward.”
Blatt, who guided Maccabi to the Euroleague title, BSL championship and State Cup in the past season, announced last Thursday that he is leaving Maccabi to coach in the NBA, and he is expected to make a decision regarding his eventual destination in the coming days. Blatt was interviewed for the head coaching position at the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday and has already received an offer to serve as the top assistant coach under new Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr.


Related Tags
David Blatt