Khimki, Kurtinaitis together until 2021

Jul 05, 2019 by Euroleague.net Print
Khimki, Kurtinaitis together until 2021

Khimki Moscow Region and head coach Rimas Kurtinaitis signed a contract that will keep the most successful coach in club history on the bench through the 2020-21 season. Kurtinaitis, 58, is in his second stint with Khimki, having arrived in January of last season. Khimki finished its Turkish Airlines EuroLeague campaign with a 9-21 record, but Kurtinaitis guided the team to the VTB League playoff finals, earning another a ticket for the 2019-20 EuroLeague season. Kurtinaitis first served as Khimki's head of bench from 2011 to 2016 and led the club to the EuroCup crown in 2012 and again in 2015. He also coached Khimki in two EuroLeague campaigns in which he compiled a 23-20 record. Before returning to Khimki last January, he coached Rytas Vilnius of his native Lithuania. Kurtinaitis also won the EuroCup in 2009 with Rytas and his three triumphs make him the winningest coach in that competition's history.

“I appreciate the trust placed in me by the club management and the sponsors”, Kurtinaitis said. “At Khimki, we always set only the highest goals in front of ourselves. I have never been afraid of challenges, so I have already started working and preparing for the new season.”

A legendary shooter as a player, Kurtinaitis won an Olympic gold medal with the Soviet Union in 1988 and Olympic bronze medals with Lithuania in 1992 and 1996. He started his coaching career with Gala Baku of Azerbaijan and has also coached Ural Great of Russia, Sakalai Vilnius of Lithuania, Slask Wroclaw of Poland, VEF Riga of Latvia and Cantu of Italy.