Slaven Rimac
{{short description|Croatian basketball player and coach}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Slaven Rimac
| image = 2022-06-17 ALBA Berlin gegen FC Bayern München (Basketball-Bundesliga 2021-22) by Sandro Halank–081.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Rimac with Bayern Munich in 2022
| position =
| league =
| team =
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 4.75
| weight_lb = 200
| nationality = Croatian
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1974|12|19|df=y}}
| birth_place = Zagreb, SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia
| draft_year = 1996
| career_position = Shooting guard
| career_start = 1989
| career_end = 2012
| coach_start = 2013
| coach_end =
| years1 = 1989–1990
| team1 = Dubrava
| years2 = 1990–1998
| team2 = Cibona
| years3 = 1998–2000
| team3 = Tofaş
| years4 = 2000–2001
| team4 = Joventut
| years5 = 2001–2002
| team5 = Olimpia Milano
| years6 = 2002–2004
| team6 = Cibona
| years7 = 2004–2005
| team7 = Makedonikos
| years8 = 2005–2006
| team8 = AEK Athens
| years9 = 2006–2007
| team9 = Azovmash Mariupol
| years10 = 2007
| team10 = Paris Basket Racing
| years11 = 2007–2008
| team11 = Cedevita
| years12 = 2008
| team12 = Le Havre
| years13 = 2008–2012
| team13 = Pau-Orthez
| cyears1 = 2013
| cteam1 = Cibona (assistant)
| cyears2 = 2013–2015
| cteam2 = Cibona
| cyears3 = 2017–2018
| cteam3 = Cedevita (assistant)
| cyears4 = 2018–2019
| cteam4 = Cedevita
| cyears5 = 2019–2020
| cteam5 = Cedevita Olimpija
| cyears6 = 2021–2023
| cteam6 = Bayern Munich (assistant)
| cyears7 = 2023–2025
| cteam7 = Split
| highlights =
As player:
- French 2nd Division Finals MVP (2010)
- 8× Croatian League champion (1992–1998, 2004)
- 2× Turkish League champion (1999, 2000)
- 2× Croatian Cup winner (1995, 1996)
- 2× Turkish Cup winner (1999, 2000)
As head coach:
- ABA League champion (2014)
- Croatian Cup winner (2019)
As assistant coach:
- German Cup winner (2023)
}}
Slaven Rimac (born 19 December 1974) is a Croatian professional basketball coach and former player who last served as the head coach for Split of the Adriatic League and the Croatian League.
Playing career
Rimac led the 1996–97 EuroLeague in free throws shooting percentage 93.1%. He retired from professional basketball in May 2012, as a member of the French club EB Pau-Orthez.{{cite web|title=Osmerostruki prvak Hrvatske s Cibonom Slaven Rimac završio karijeru |url=http://www.index.hr/sport/clanak/osmerostruki-prvak-hrvatske-s-cibonom-slaven-rimac-zavrsio-karijeru/615785.aspx |work=Index.hr |access-date=2 April 2014 |language=hr}}
National team career
Rimac was a member of the senior Croatian national basketball team at the 1996 Summer Olympics and 1997 EuroBasket.
Coaching career
=Cibona (2013–2015)=
On 14 November 2013, following the departure of Neven Spahija, Rimac was appointed the head coach of Cibona.{{cite web|title=Smjena u Ciboni: Neven Spahija odlazi, Slaven Rimac novi trener, Amerikanci ostaju |url=http://sportske.jutarnji.hr/smjena-u-ciboni-neven-spahija-odlazi--slaven-rimac-novi-trener--amerikaci-ostaju/1139757/ |access-date=8 October 2014 |work=Jutarnji list |language=hr}} He led the club to win the 2013–14 ABA League championship, despite the huge financial problems that the club was facing at the time.{{cite web|title=CEDEVITA - CIBONA 59-72 Briljantni Šarić srušio Cedevitu i odveo Cibonu do prvog trofeja u regionalnoj ABA ligi! |url=http://www.jutarnji.hr/cedevita---cibona-tko-ce-u-zagreb-donijeti-najveci-kosarkaski-trofej-u-posljednjih-27-godina-/1186875/ |access-date=8 October 2014 |work=Jutarnji list |language=hr}} As the champion of the ABA League, Cibona gained a direct spot in the following EuroLeague season, but the club withdrew from it in order to stabilize financially.{{cite web|title=Zvezda direktno u Evroligi? |url=http://www.b92.net/sport/kosarka/vesti.php?yyyy=2014&mm=06&dd=17&nav_id=862763|access-date=8 October 2014 |work=b92.net |language=sr}} Eventually, Crvena zvezda, the third-placed team in the league, took Cibona's spot in the EuroLeague.{{cite web|title=Cibona odustala, Zvezda u Evroligi! |url=http://www.b92.net/sport/kosarka/vesti.php?yyyy=2014&mm=06&dd=18&nav_id=863583 |access-date=8 October 2014 |work=b92.net |language=sr}} He was sacked in Cibona on 6 December 2015, following a series of poor results in the ABA League.{{cite web|url=http://hr.n1info.com/Sport-Klub/Kosarka/a89333/Rimac-vise-nije-trener-Cibone.html |title=Rimac više nije trener Cibone |website=N1 HR |date=6 December 2015 |access-date=24 April 2020 |language=hr}}
=Cedevita (2017–2019)=
From 2017 to 2018, Rimac worked as an assistant coach of Cedevita under the coaching staff of Jure Zdovc,{{cite web|title=Slaven Rimac pojačao stručni stožer Cedevite |url=http://www.kkcedevita.hr/vijesti/tabid/86/id/36691/slaven-rimac-pojacao-strucni-stozer-cedevite.aspx#.WWI6Yv60nDc |access-date=9 July 2017 |publisher=KK Cedevita |date=5 July 2017 |language=hr}} while between June and October 2018, he served as the head coach of the Cedevita second team, which played in the Croatian League regular season.
On 25 October 2018, following the departure of Sito Alonso, who led the first team in the ABA League and EuroCup, Rimac was appointed his successor as Cedevita head coach.{{cite web|title=Rimac replaced Alonso at Cedevita bench |url=https://www.aba-liga.com/news.php?id=40809 |website=aba-liga.com |date=25 October 2018}} In July 2019, Cedevita merged with the Slovenian club Petrol Olimpija to form a new club named Cedevita Olimpija.{{cite web|url=https://www.24ur.com/sport/kosarka/pricakovano-rimac-novi-trener-cedevite-olimpije-edo-muric-prva-okrepitev.html |title=Pričakovano: Rimac novi trener Cedevite Olimpije, Edo Murić prva okrepitev |website=24ur.com |date=8 July 2019 |access-date=24 April 2020 |language=sl}}
=Cedevita Olimpija (2019–2020)=
On 8 July 2019, Rimac was named the first head coach for Cedevita Olimpija in the club's history.{{cite web|url=https://www.rtvslo.si/sport/kosarka/rimac-trener-cedevite-olimpije-prva-okrepitev-edo-muric/493958 |title=Slaven Rimac novi trener Cedevite Olimpije, prva okrepitev Edo Murić |work=RTV Slovenija |language=sl |date=8 July 2019 |access-date=8 July 2019}} On 27 January 2020, he was replaced by Jurica Golemac.{{cite web|url=https://sportnet.rtl.hr/vijesti/534278/kosarka-aba-liga/slaven-rimac-nije-vise-trener-cedevite-olimpije/ |title=Slaven Rimac nije više trener Cedevite Olimpije |website=sportnet.rtl.hr |date=27 January 2020 |access-date=27 January 2020 |language=hr}}
=Bayern Munich (2021–2023)=
On 16 August 2021, Rimac joined German powerhouse Bayern Munich as an assistant coach under Andrea Trinchieri.{{cite web|title=Slaven Rimac and Luka Svilar join Trinchieri's coaching team|url=https://fcbayern.com/basketball/en/news/2021-22/08/staff-2022|website=FC Bayern Munich|date=16 August 2021|accessdate=28 January 2024}} With Bayern, Rimac won the 2023 German Cup.
=Split (2023–present)=
On 26 June 2023, Rimac was appointed head coach of Split of the Croatian League and the Adriatic League.{{cite web|title=Coach Slaven Rimac (ex Bayern) is a newcomer at Split|url=https://www.eurobasket.com/Croatia/news/815770/Coach-Slaven-Rimac-(ex-Bayern)-is-a-newcomer-at-Split|website=Eurobasket|date=26 June 2023|accessdate=28 January 2024}}
On 3 January 2025, after a string of bad results, Rimac left Split.{{cite web |title=OFFICIAL: Split parts ways with Slaven Rimac|url=https://www.aba-liga.com/news/52109/official-split-parts-ways-with-slaven-rimac/ |website=aba-liga.com|date=3 January 2025 |access-date=10 January 2025}}
Career achievements and awards
Club titles than Rimac won as a senior level player:
- Croatian League Champion: (with Cibona: 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, 2003–04)
- Turkish League Champion: (with Tofaş: 1998–99, 1999–2000)
- Turkish Cup Winner: (with Tofaş: 1998–99, 1999–2000)
Club titles that Rimac won as a head coach:
- ABA League Champion: (with Cibona: 2013–14)
- Croatian Cup Winner: (with Cedevita: 2018–19)
Personal life
His mother Ružica Meglaj-Rimac, brother Davor and aunt Kornelija Meglaj were all professional basketball players.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.aba-liga.com/player/4557/23/1/slaven-rimac/ Adriatic League profile] (coach)
- [https://www.aba-liga.com/player/296/23/1/slaven-rimac/ Adriatic League profile] (player)
- [https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/slaven-rimac/bda/ EuroLeague profile]
- [https://basketball.realgm.com/player/Slaven-Rimac/Summary/3129 RealGM profile]
{{Croatia Men Basketball Squad 1996 Summer Olympics}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rimac, Slaven}}
Category:ABA League–winning coaches
Category:Basketball players at the 1996 Summer Olympics
Category:Croatian basketball coaches
Category:Croatian expatriate basketball people in France
Category:Croatian expatriate basketball people in Germany
Category:Croatian expatriate basketball people in Greece
Category:Croatian expatriate basketball people in Italy
Category:Croatian expatriate basketball people in Slovenia
Category:Croatian expatriate basketball people in Spain
Category:Croatian expatriate basketball people in Turkey
Category:Croatian expatriate basketball people in Ukraine
Category:Croatian men's basketball players
Category:Croatian people of Slovenian descent
Category:Élan Béarnais players
Category:Joventut Badalona players
Category:KK Cedevita Olimpija coaches
Category:Makedonikos B.C. players
Category:Olimpia Milano players
Category:Olympic basketball players for Croatia