- Newly appointed Bayern coach Herbert expresses desire for guidance under Pesic.
Ex-national basketball coach Gordon Herbert is relying on the expertise of an experienced coach in his new position as coach of FC Bayern. The 65-year-old explained to "Sport Bild" that he is excited to collaborate with Munich basketball director Marko Pesic and hopes to "learn from his father Svetislav, who frequently visits Munich, allowing me to utilize him as a mentor."
Svetislav Pesic (74) is a highly respected coach in Germany and Europe: The Serbian guided the DBB team to the 1993 European Championship title and secured four Bundesliga titles with Alba Berlin and one victory with Bayern in 2014. As the national team coach of his home country, he recently faced off against Germany and Herbert in two crucial matches: He fell short in the 2023 World Cup final in Manila but went on to secure a bronze medal for Serbia against the Germans at the Paris Olympics.
Rendezvous with five Olympic gold medalists
That match marked the end of Herbert's tenure as national team coach. He declined lucrative offers to remain in Germany. He was pleased by Munich's interest, stating that it wasn't about the money. "The Bayern are one of the most prominent clubs worldwide. This opportunity allows me to train several of my national players." Five Olympic gold medalists are on the Bayern roster: Andreas Obst, Nick Weiler-Babb, Niels Giffey, Oscar da Silva, and Johannes Voigtmann.
Only eight days after the bronze medal match in Paris and a brief stint in his second home in Finland, the Canadian coach began his new role in Munich on Sunday. The Olympic starters were initially absent from training.
The first practice match against Brose Bamberg is set for Saturday. A tournament in Ljubljana, Slovenia, follows in early September. The Bundesliga season commences on September 20 against Niners Chemnitz, with the Euroleague kicking off two weeks later on October 3 with a home game against Real Madrid in the new SAP Garden.
The new position for Gordon Herbert involves coaching FC Bayern's basketball team, a shift that sees him collaborating with former Alba Berlin and DBB coach Svetislav Pesic, who has previous success with Bayern, winning a title in 2014. Svetislav Pesic, a highly regarded coach in German and European sports, led Germany's national team in two matches against Herbert's former team, including a World Cup final and an Olympics bronze medal match.
In his new role, Herbert will be training several of his former national team players in Munich, as five Olympic gold medalists are part of Bayern's basketball team, including Andreas Obst, Nick Weiler-Babb, Niels Giffey, Oscar da Silva, and Johannes Voigtmann.
