Giedrius Žibėnas

Giedrius Žibėnas
Žibėnas in 2023
Rytas Vilnius
PositionHead coach
LeagueLithuanian Basketball League
Champions League
Personal information
Born (1984-04-06) 6 April 1984 (age 40)
Kaunas, Lithuania
NationalityLithuanian
Coaching career2012–present
Career history
As coach:
2012–2014Zanavykas Šakiai
2014–2015Sūduva-Mantinga
2015–2016Czarni Słupsk (assistant)
2016Palayesh Naft Abadan BC
2017Copenhagen Wolfpack
2017–2018BC Kalev (assistant)
2018–2019Stapac Jakarta
2019–2020Prawira Bandung
2020–2021Rytas Vilnius (assistant)
2021–presentRytas Vilnius
2021–presentLithuania (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
As head coach:

As assistant coach:

Giedrius Žibėnas (born 6 April 1984) is a Lithuanian professional basketball coach. He is currently the head coach for Rytas Vilnius of the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) and the Champions League.[1]

Coaching career

Žibėnas started his coaching career in 2012 with Zanavykas Šakiai of the NKL, the second division of Lithuania.[2] He later worked as an assistant coach with the Polish club Czarni Słupsk.

On 8 August 2018, Žibėnas was named the head coach of Stapac Jakarta of the Indonesian Basketball League (IBL).[3] He led the club to its fifth IBL championship in the 2018–19 season.

In June 2020, Žibėnas returned to Lithuania and signed with Rytas Vilnius as an assistant coach under Donaldas Kairys.[4] In January 2021, he replaced Kairys as head coach of Rytas.[5] Later that season, he signed a new one-year contract with the club.[6] On 13 June 2022, Žibėnas received the LKL Coach of the Year award after leading Rytas to their sixth Lithuanian championship.[7] In the 2023–24 season, he guided the team to another LKL title by defeating rivals Žalgiris Kaunas 3–1 in the final series.

National team coaching career

In October 2021, Žibėnas joined the Lithuania national team as an assistant coach under Kazys Maksvytis.[8] He was a staff member at EuroBasket 2022 and 2023 FIBA World Cup.

References

  1. ^ "„Rytas" — BC "Rytas"". www.rytasvilnius.lt.
  2. ^ "Giedrius Žibėnas / Personalas". basketnews.lt.
  3. ^ "Netradicinis pasirinkimas: Giedrius Žibėnas imasi treniruoti Indonezijos klubą". basketnews.lt (in Lithuanian). 8 August 2018. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  4. ^ "Vilniaus „Ryto" strategas išsirinko asistentus". DELFI. 16 June 2020.
  5. ^ "Donaldas Kairys – atleistas: „Rytas" turės naują trenerį". 15min.lt/24sek. 16 January 2021.
  6. ^ "Užsitarnavo vietą: „Rytas" pratęsė sutartį su treneriu Giedriumi Žibėnu". www.lrytas.lt. 24 May 2021.
  7. ^ "„Rytą" į išsvajotas pergales vedęs Žibėnas tapo LKL metų treneriu". basketnews.lt (in Lithuanian). 13 June 2022. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  8. ^ "Maksvytis suformavo trenerių štabą: į rinktinę sugrįžta Kemzūra". basketnews.lt (in Lithuanian). 5 October 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2024.