Fotios Katsikaris
Fotis Katsikaris (Greek Φώτης Κατσικάρης, born May 16, 1967 in Korydallos, Greece) is a Greek basketball coach and former player.
Career as a player
Fotis Katsikaris began his training as a basketball player at Ionikos Nikeas. At 15, he gave his debut in the top division of the Greek championship. There was a United States residence of 1986 until 1988. Upon returning from the United States Katsikaris played for two years at Sporting Athens in 1990 to switch to AEK Athens. There he played a total of six years. After a further two years at Iraklis Crete he ended his career as a player.
Career as a coach
Katsikaris began his coaching career in the coaching staff of AEK Athens as an assistant coach Dušan Ivković first and then by Dragan Šakota. During this time, AEK won the Greek Cup (2002), twice the Greek Cup (2000, 2001) and the 2000 Saporta Cup. At the beginning of the 2003/ 04 Katsikaris was appointed head coach. He reached in the 2004/05 season with AEK second place in the Greek Championship and the round of Last16 in the Euro League. Then moved Katsikaris to Russian club Dynamo BK from Saint Petersburg. In the 2005/06 season he was with Dynamo third of the Russian Championship and fourth in the Eurocup. After only two years of playing Operation Dynamo went bankrupt in 2006. Katsikaris signed in October 2006 in Valencia. After Valencia could not advance to the top Spanish under his leadership, he was released after the start of the 2008/09 season. In October 2009 Katsikaris got a new job as manager of Aris Thessaloniki. He led Aris in the last 16 round of the Euro Cup, but resigned in January 2010 after a defeat against the " archenemy " PAOK after only 100 days back. A few days later he took over the Spanish club CB Bilbao Berri. In the same season he reached the third place in the Eurocup with Bilbao. In the next season (2010 /11) he was the second of the Spanish league. In December 2012, it was announced that Katsikaris next Bilbao will train the Russian national basketball team, but before the start of preparations for EURO 2013 tratt Katsikaris back because of disputes with the Russian Federation from this post. In Eurocup 2012/13 he achieved with the Bilbao final, which was lost against locomotive Kuban Krasnodar. Even before this final, he was appointed Eurocup Coach of the Year.
Success as a coach
- Eurocup Coach of the Year 2013
- Second in the Greek Cup: 2005
- Second the Spanish Championship: 2011
- Third in the Russian championship: 2006
- Finalist in the Eurocup 2013