Azovmash Mariupol fires coach Kesar, hires Zavalin

In advance of a do-or-die home game to stay in the Last 16 race, Azovmash Mariupol of Ukraine changed head coaches. Aleksandar Kesar has left the team, replaced by Sergiy Zavalin for Azovmash's home challenge against Banvit BK Bandirma of Turkey on Wednesday. Kesar had joined the club over the summer after having been an assistant on a pair of Euroleague teams, Partizan Belgrade between 2004 and 2007, as well as current Euroleague champion Olympiacos Piraeus from 2010 to 2012. He was also head coach at BC Mega Belgrade in 2007-08 and at Ural Great Perm of Russia in 2008-09. Zavalin is a long-time assistant at Azovmash who took over the head spot on the bench at least once before, in 2010, when they won the Ukrainian League title together. Azovmash is 0-3 in Group D of the Eurocup and has an 8-4 record in the Ukrainian League.