Reigning Turkish Airlines Euroleague champion Olympiacos Piraeus has found a new boss with the announcement that Georgios Bartzokas will coach the team until the end of the 2013-14 season. Bartzokas, who turned 47 this month, arrives from Panionios ON Telecoms Athens, which he led to the Greek League semifinals last season before losing against the Reds. Panionios went on to beat Kolossos VAP in a best-of-five playoffs series to finish third overall. Bartzokas has previous Euroleague experience with Maroussi, which he led way beyond expectations in the 2009-10 season. Maroussi went all the way from the Euroleague Qualifying Rounds to the Top 16 and was one win away from making it to the playoffs, downing teams like Panathinaikos and Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv in the process. Bartzokas also led Maroussi to third place in the Greek League that season. For those achievements, Bartzokas was chosen as the 2009-10 coach of the year in Greece. Bartzokas has also coached Olimpia GE Larissa in his native Greece.

"It is a great honor to represent such a big club that is the current Greek and the defending Euroleague champion," Bartzokas said. "I feel very proud to be here and it is s big responsiblity to coach them. We need method, hard work and devotion to reach our targets. Thanks to the Angelopoulos brothers for their cofidence in me."