JERUSALEM (AP) - David Blatt has returned to Maccabi Tel Aviv,
signing a three-year contract to coach the Israeli league team he
led from 2001-03.
The Boston-born Blatt will replace Pini Gershon, who resigned
last week after Maccabi lost the Israeli league championship final.
The 51-year-old Blatt signed the contract Friday.
Maccabi's loss to Hapoel Gilboa Galil in the Israeli final was
only the third time in 41 years that the club failed to take the
title. Maccabi also had a disappointing European season in 2010,
losing to Partizan Belgrade in the Euroleague quarterfinals.
"I want to return Maccabi to its natural position in Europe and
in Israel," said Blatt, who spent last season coaching Greek team
Aris Thessaloniki and has also coached the Russia national team for
five years.
He led Russia to the 2007 EuroBasket title and is expected to
continue coaching the national team while working for Maccabi.
"He is an impressive coach who has coached here in the past and
you can not argue about his ability," Tel Aviv chairman Shimon
Mizrahi said.
Blatt, a Princeton graduate, moved to Israel in 1981 after
competing for the U.S. in the Maccabiah Games.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
