The FFBB had promised a little change in the staff of the French team, after the failure of the last World Cup. And this change is called Kenny AtkinsonSteve Kerr's current right-hand man at Golden State.
Former player at Montpellier, Golbey-Epinal and even at Hermine de Nantes, Kenny Atkinson learned the tricks of the coaching profession in France, at Paris Basket Racing between 2004 and 2006. The most Francophile of American coaches had Elsewhere, he has declared his interest in an assistant position with the Blues several times.
” No no no ! You have the best possible coach at the moment [en Vincent Collet] » he already answered us in 2017 about the possibility of taking charge of the French team. “There are too many good coaches in France… There are too many good coaches who deserve it more than me. I would love to be an assistant or help. But I have too much respect for the Federation, for the recent results in international competitions. I am a big fan of French basketball. And he should get more respect because it's amazing how many good players and coaches he's produced. People who are in basketball know it, but the general public doesn't know it. »
The former Nets head coach, who was also the assistant to Mike D'Antoni at the Knicks, then to Mike Budenholzer at the Hawks, will take Laurent Foirest's place in Vincent Collet's staff.
The FFBB also announces that Yann Barbitch, Sports Director since 2014 and then Deputy General Manager since 2021, has decided to leave his position to concentrate on other professional projects. It is replaced by Frédéric Sarrean important figure in coaching in France, French champion with Pau Orthez in 2003.
