Vlasios Vlaikidis has been named the first coach in Iwate Big Bulls history, the bj-league expansion club announced on Thursday.
Vlaikidis, a 45-year-old Greek, has professional ties to current Shimane Susanoo Magic and former Japan national team coach Zeljko Pavlicevic, having served as an assistant coach under the highly regarded mentor for three seasons at Panathinaikos Athens in the early 1990s. In that time, Vlaikidis helped coach the squad to a Greek Cup title in 1993.
Vlaikidis also worked as an assistant coach for Greek club Aris Thessaloniki and as a head coach in Macedonia.
"I would like to have a defensive-oriented team and that is my philosophy. Everything starts from defense. We hope to assemble young players and grow them up," Vlaikidis said at a news conference.