By Nikola Miloradovic / info@eurohoops.net
In a noteworthy shift within the world of European basketball, Ettore Messina has officially stepped down as the head coach of Olimpia Milano. While he may be relinquishing his coaching duties, he will continue to lend his expertise in a management role within the organization.
Taking the reins from Messina is Giuseppe Poeta, who returned to the club last summer. Originally slated to join Messina’s staff and assume head coaching duties next season, the plan has been expedited. With Milano starting the EuroLeague at a middling 6–6 and holding a 5–4 record in the Italian Lega Basket, Poeta will now lead the team immediately.
Messina’s departure marks the conclusion of a notable era. Having been at the helm since 2019, he wore two significant hats as both head coach and president of basketball operations. His tenure saw Milan achieve remarkable success: three consecutive LegaBasket championships from 2022 to 2024, two Italian Cups in 2021 and 2022, and three Supercups in 2020, 2024, and 2025. Under his guidance, the club reached the EuroLeague Final Four in 2021, ultimately securing a third-place finish in Cologne.
Although stepping away from the bench does not equate to retirement—Messina will remain integral to the club’s management—his legacy is indelibly etched in the annals of basketball history. Should this indeed be his farewell to coaching, he leaves the arena as one of the most distinguished figures in European basketball.
A four-time EuroLeague champion, Messina is celebrated as a pivotal strategist and thinker in the sport. At 66, his accolades include three Italian League Coach of the Year awards and two EuroLeague Coach of the Year honors, awarded in 2006 and 2008. His contributions were further recognized with his induction into the Italian Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008 and the VTB United League Hall of Fame in 2019. Between 2014 and 2019, he also enhanced the San Antonio Spurs’ coaching staff as an assistant under Gregg Popovich.
Messina began his career in coaching with youth teams at Reyer Venezia and Basket Mestre, ascending to senior coaching roles that led him to iconic clubs such as Virtus Bologna, CSKA Moscow, and Real Madrid, along with two tenures with the Italian national team. Across his extensive career, he has amassed two EuroLeague titles with Virtus and two with CSKA Moscow, alongside multiple championships in both the VTB League and Russian League, as well as seven domestic titles in Italy, three of which he won with Milano.
His trophy-laden legacy, the impact on countless players and coaches, and his undeniable influence across Italy, Russia, Spain, and the NBA secure his standing among basketball’s all-time greats. Whether he returns to the sidelines or not, Ettore Messina’s legacy is firmly scripted in the golden chapters of basketball history.
