He replaces Luca Banchi, who stepped down on Wednesday
Virtus appoints Dusko Ivanovic as head coach
Virtus Segafredo Bologna named Dusko Ivanovic as its new head coach on Thursday after agreeing to terms on a contract for the remainder of the season.
Ivanovic, 67, last coached Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, a team he led in four different stints. Over the years, Ivanovic helped Baskonia win the Spanish championship in 2002, 2010 and 2020, Spanish Cups in 2002, 2004 and 2009 and reach the EuroLeague Finals in 2001 and the EuroLeague Championship Game in 2005, losing against Virtus and Maccabi Tel Aviv, respectively.
Ivanovic started his coaching career with Benetton Fribourg of Switzerland, and also coached Limoges CSP of France, FC Barcelona of Spain, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens of Greece, Khimki Moscow Region of Russia, Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul of Turkiye and Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade of Serbia.
In his first three years as a full-time head coach, Ivanovic led Fribourg to back-to-back Swiss League titles in 1998 and 1999 and lifted the French League and the Korac Cup trophies with Limoges in 2000. Ivanovic won another Spanish Cup with Barca in 2007, a Greek Cup with Panathinaikos in 2015, and the Serbian League and Cup double with Zvezda in 2023.
As a player, Ivanovic helped Split win back-to-back EuroLeague championships in 1989 and 1990.
Ivanovic ranks fourth in all-time games coached in the EuroLeague with 398, only trailing Zeljko Obraovic (540), Ettore Messina (483) and Ergin Ataman (440). His coaching record is 220-178 (55.3%).