Erdem Can named 7DAYS EuroCup Coach of the Year

Turk Telekom Ankara’s Erdem Can has been rewarded for his impressive coaching performances this season by being voted the 2022-23 Coach of the Year by his fellow 7DAYS EuroCup head coaches.

In his first year as Turk Telekom boss, Can guided the team to a 13-5 regular-season record and has since led the side to the EuroCup Final following three come-from-behind wins in the playoffs. The Turkish club will visit Gran Canaria on Wednesday for a do-or-die showdown with a place in next season’s Turkish Airlines EuroLeague up for grabs.

The Coach of the Year award is among several trophies handed out to recognize the outstanding work achieved by some EuroCup participants during the 2022-23 EuroCup season. All 20 head coaches involved in this season’s competition voted for the Coach of the Year honor. The Rising Star Trophy, also voted by the head coaches, was won for the second time by Aleksander Balcerowski of Gran Canaria. The All-EuroCup Teams and the 2022-23 MVP – for whom coaches, team captains, fans and media all vote – will be announced before the EuroCup Final.

Prior to this season, the 42-year-old Can had spent 10 years as an assistant, working under Neven Spahija (2012-13), Zeljko Obradovic (2013-20) and Igor Kokoskov (2020-21) at Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, and under Quin Snyder (2021-22) at Utah of the NBA, before taking the Turk Telekom job. In his hometown of Ankara, where Can began his career as an assistant coach, he has utilized his vast experience to take Turk Telekom to the next level. Despite having had to integrate a whole host of new faces into the roster this season, Can has his team one step away from its first EuroLeague appearance since 1998.