Igor Stefan Kokoškov ( sr-Cyrl, Игор Стефан Кокошков; born 17 December 1971) is a Serbian professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

coach. He had spent 19 years in the NBA as an assistant coach, with a brief stint as head coach for the

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA), We ...

for a full season. He spent a season in Turkey with Fenerbahçe, before returning to the NBA to become an assistant coach for the

Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Divisi ...

in 2021. Kokoškov was the first European to be a full-time assistant coach in

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Division I

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, and the first non-American to hold such a position in the NBA. In 2004, he became the first non-American assistant coach to win an

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, and the first to serve on an

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coaching staff. He is also the first coach born and raised outside of North America to be hired as a

head coach A head coach, senior coach, or manager is a professional responsible for training and developing athletes within a sports team. This role often has a higher public profile and salary than other coaching positions. In some sports, such as associat ...

in the NBA. He won

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, while working as the head coach of the Slovenian men's national team.

Early career

Kokoškov, a graduate of the

University of Belgrade The University of Belgrade () is a public university, public research university in Belgrade, Serbia. It is the oldest and largest modern university in Serbia. Founded in 1808 as the Belgrade Higher School in revolutionary Serbia, by 1838 it me ...

, coached various club teams in

Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...

early in his coaching career and was on the staff of the Yugoslav men's and junior national teams. At the age of 24, Kokoškov became the youngest coach in Yugoslavian basketball history, shortly after suffering serious injuries sustained during a 1990 automobile accident, which ended a promising basketball playing career. His savvy, ambitious nature and command of the

English language English is a West Germanic language that developed in early medieval England and has since become a English as a lingua franca, global lingua franca. The namesake of the language is the Angles (tribe), Angles, one of the Germanic peoples th ...

were factors when he was hired by the

University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou or MU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri, United States. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus Univers ...

Tigers, as a part of their full-time men's basketball coaching staff in 1999, making him the first European to hold such a position in

Division I men's

NBA assistant (2000–2018)

In 2000, Kokoškov became the first non-American to be hired as a full-time assistant coach in the

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

, by the

Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...

, under head coach Alvin Gentry. In 2003, he joined the

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

staff of head coach Larry Brown. He won an

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

with the Pistons. At the

2006 NBA All-Star Game The 2006 NBA All-Star Game was played on Sunday, February 19, 2006, at the Toyota Center in Houston, home of the Houston Rockets. The game was the 55th annual All-Star game. The theme song was by Houston native Chamillionaire who made a new ...

he served on the Eastern Conference coaching staff. On 20 June 2008, Kokoškov was named an assistant coach of the

. On 29 May 2013, Kokoškov was named as assistant coach of the

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers, often referred to as the Cavs, are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Divis ...

. On 17 February 2015, Kokoškov was named as assistant coach for the

Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NB ...

, until the end of the season. On 1 July 2015, Kokoškov was hired by the

Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...

to be an assistant coach. On 5 December 2016, Kokoškov led Utah to a win over

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, 107–101. Jazz head coach

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had fallen ill and missed their game against the Lakers. He would remain assistant coach for the Jazz until their run in the 2018 NBA Playoffs concluded, which ended on 8 May 2018 with a 112–102 loss to the

Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA) ...

Phoenix Suns (2018–2019)

On 2 May 2018, Kokoškov was hired as the head coach of the

, returning to the team he was previously with from 2008 to 2013. He became the first head coach born and raised outside of North America in NBA history, and officially took on the role on 14 May. In his official head coaching debut in the NBA on 17 October, Kokoškov led the Suns to a 121–100 victory over the

. However, they finished the season with a 19–63 record, tied for the second-worst record in the league. On 22 April 2019, the Suns fired Kokoškov.

Return to assistant coaching (2019–2020)

On 14 June 2019, Kokoškov was named an assistant coach for the

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...

under new head coach

Luke Walton Luke Theodore Walton (born March 28, 1980) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the lead assistant coach for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 10 seasons in the NBA as a ...

's coaching staff.

Fenerbahçe (2020–2021)

On 4 July 2020, Kokoškov was named the head coach for Fenerbahçe Beko of the

Turkish Basketball Super League Turkish may refer to: * Something related to Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities in the former Ottoman Empire * The w ...

and the

EuroLeague The EuroLeague is a European men's professional basketball club competition. The league is widely recognised as the top-tier and the most prestigious men's basketball league in Europe. The league consists of 20 teams, of which 16 are given lon ...

. It is his first club coaching appointment in Europe after 25 years. Kokoskov had a 20–14 record in the

and reached the EuroLeague Playoffs where his team got swept by CSKA Moscow. Also, he went 22–8 in the

Turkish League Turkish may refer to: * Something related to Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities in the former Ottoman Empire * The w ...

before his team got swept by newly crowned EuroLeague champion Anadolu Efes in the domestic finals. On 27 July 2021, he parted ways with Fenerbahçe.

Return to NBA assistant coaching (2021–present)

On 31 August 2021, Kokoškov was appointed an assistant coach for the

. After spending one season with Dallas, on 6 July 2022, Kokoškov was named as assistant coach for the

Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), ...

. he parted ways with the Nets in May 2023. On 14 June 2023, Kokoškov was hired as assistant coach for the

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Easte ...

National team coaching career

Serbia and Montenegro assistant (2004–2005)

Kokoškov was an assistant coach of the Serbia and Montenegro national team at the

2004 Summer Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad (), and officially branded as Athens 2004 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 13 to 29 August 2004 in Athens, Greece. The Games saw 10,625 athletes ...

and the 2005 EuroBasket, under renowned European head coach

Željko Obradović Željko Obradović ( sr-cyrl, Желимир "Жељко" Обрадовић, ; born 9 March 1960) is a Serbian professional basketball Coach (basketball), coach and former professional player who is the head coach for KK Partizan, Partizan of the ...

Georgia (2008–2015)

On 18 April 2008, Kokoškov was named the head coach of the Georgia men's national basketball team. He coached Georgia at 2011 EuroBasket in

Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...

, 2013 EuroBasket in

Slovenia Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...

and 2015 EuroBasket in

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. He left after EuroBasket 2015.

Slovenia (2016–2017)

On 18 January 2016, the Basketball Federation of Slovenia named Kokoškov the new head coach of the Slovenian men's national team, for the next two years. Former Serbian coach Božidar Maljković recommended him for this position to Slovenian Federation Secretary-General Rasho Nesterović. His contract with Slovenia's national team ended after the

where Slovenia won the gold medal.

Serbia (2019–2021)

On 20 November 2019, the Basketball Federation of Serbia named Kokoškov the new head coach of the Serbia national team. He appointed Dejan Milojević, Vladimir Jovanović and Jovica Antonić as assistant coaches, as well as Bogdan Karaičić as scout. On 14 September 2021, he parted ways with the Basketball Federation of Serbia as the Serbian team coach.

Personal life

In 1990, Kokoškov was part of a near-fatal car crash which shattered his knee and ended his basketball career. Kokoškov and his wife, Patricia, were married in the summer of 2009. They have two children: a son and a daughter. On 18 June 2010, Kokoškov became an American citizen. Georgian President

Mikheil Saakashvili Mikheil "Misha" Saakashvili (born 21 December 1967) is a Georgian and Ukrainian politician and jurist. He was the third president of Georgia for two consecutive terms from 25 January 2004 to 17 November 2013. He is the founder and former chair ...

honored Kokoškov with an Order of Honour, Georgia's highest civilian honor, on 18 December 2011.

Head coaching record

NBA

, - , style="text-align:left;", Phoenix , style="text-align:left;", , 82, , 19, , 63, , , , align="center", 5th in

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the cont ...

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EuroLeague

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Playoffs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...

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References

External links

The Official Athletic Site of University of Missouri

Kokoškov preuzeo reprezentaciju Gruzije
MTSMondo, 18 April 2008
Phoenix Suns coach Igor Kokoskov's journey began with near-fatal auto accident
Arizona Republic, 2 July 2018 {{DEFAULTSORT:Kokoskov, Igor 1971 births Living people American people of Serbian descent Atlanta Hawks assistant coaches Cleveland Cavaliers assistant coaches Detroit Pistons assistant coaches Fenerbahçe basketball coaches FIBA EuroBasket–winning coaches Los Angeles Clippers assistant coaches KK Crvena zvezda (youth) players Missouri Tigers men's basketball coaches Naturalized citizens of the United States Orlando Magic assistant coaches OKK Beograd coaches Sportspeople from Pančevo Basketball players from South Banat District Phoenix Suns assistant coaches Phoenix Suns head coaches Recipients of the Order of Honor (Georgia) Recipients of the Presidential Order of Excellence Sacramento Kings assistant coaches Serbian expatriate basketball people in Georgia (country) Serbian expatriate basketball people in Slovenia Serbian expatriate basketball people in Turkey Serbian expatriate basketball people in the United States Serbian men's basketball coaches Serbia national basketball team coaches Slovenia national basketball team coaches University of Belgrade Faculty of Sport and Physical Education alumni Utah Jazz assistant coaches