View source for Ettore Messina

{{short description|Italian professional basketball coach (born 1959)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2019}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name         = Ettore Messina
| image        = 2021-12-03 ALBA Berlin gegen Pallacanestro Olimpia Milano (EuroLeague 2021-22) by Sandro Halank–122.jpg
| image_size   = 275px
| caption      = Ettore Messina (2021)
| league       = [[Lega Basket Serie A|LBA]]<br />[[EuroLeague]]
| team         = Olimpia Milano
| position     = Head coach
| height_ft    = 
| height_in    = 
| weight_lb    = 
| birth_date   = {{birth date and age|1959|9|30|df=y}}
| birth_place  = [[Catania]], Italy
| coach_start  = 1976
| coach_end    = 
| cyears1      = 1976–1980
| cteam1       = [[Reyer Venezia]] (youth)
| cyears2      = 1980–1982
| cteam2       = [[Basket Mestre]] (youth)
| cyears3      = 1982–1983
| cteam3       = [[Pallalcesto Amatori Udine|A.P.U. Udine]] (assistant)
| cyears4      = 1983–1989
| cteam4       = [[Virtus Pallacanestro Bologna|Virtus Bologna]] (assistant) 
| cyears5      = 1989–1993
| cteam5       =  [[Virtus Pallacanestro Bologna|Virtus Bologna]]
| cyears6      = 1992–1997
| cteam6       = [[Italy national basketball team|Italy]]
| cyears7      = 1997–2002
| cteam7       =  [[Virtus Pallacanestro Bologna|Virtus Bologna]] 
| cyears8      = 2002–2005
| cteam8       = [[Pallacanestro Treviso|Benetton Treviso]] 
| cyears9      = 2005–2009
| cteam9       = [[PBC CSKA Moscow|CSKA Moscow]] 
| cyears10     = 2009–2011
| cteam10      = [[Real Madrid Baloncesto|Real Madrid]] 
| cyears11     = 2011–2012
| cteam11      = [[Los Angeles Lakers]] (consultant)
| cyears12     = 2012–2014
| cteam12      =  [[PBC CSKA Moscow|CSKA Moscow]] 
| cyears13     = {{nbay|2014|start}}–{{nbay|2018|end}}
| cteam13      = [[San Antonio Spurs]] (assistant)
| cyears14     = 2015–2017
| cteam14      = Italy
| cyears15     = 2019–present
| cteam15      = [[Pallacanestro Olimpia Milano|Olimpia Milano]]
| highlights   = 
'''As head coach:'''
* 4× [[EuroLeague]] champion ([[1998 EuroLeague Final Four|1998]], [[2001 EuroLeague Finals|2001]], [[2006 EuroLeague Final Four|2006]], [[2008 EuroLeague Final Four|2008]])
* [[FIBA Saporta Cup]] champion ([[1989–90 FIBA European Cup Winners' Cup|1990]])
* 3× [[VTB United League]] champion (2008, 2013, 2014)
* 6× [[Russian Professional Basketball League|Russian League champion]] (2006–2009, 2013–2014)
* 7× [[Lega Basket Serie A|Lega Serie A]] champion (1993, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2022–2024)
* 4× [[Russian Basketball Cup|Russian Cup]] winner (2005–2008)
* 9× [[Italian Basketball Cup|Italian Cup]] winner (1990, 1999, 2001–2005, 2021, 2022)
* 3× [[Italian Basketball Supercup|Italian Supercup]] winner (2002, 2020, 2024)
* 3× [[Gomelsky Cup]] winner (2012–2014)
* [[50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors]] (2008)
* [[FIBA EuroStar]] (1998)
* European Coach of the Year (1998)
* 2× [[EuroLeague Coach of the Year]] ([[2005–06 Euroleague|2006]], [[2007–08 Euroleague|2008]])
* [[VTB United League Hall of Fame]] (2019)
* 4× [[Russian Gold Basket awards|Russian League Coach of the Year]] (2006–2009)
* 3× [[Lega Basket Serie A awards|Lega Serie A Coach of the Year ]] (1998, 2001, 2005)
* [[Italian Basketball Hall of Fame|Lega Serie A Hall of Fame]] (2008)
* 2× Italian Coach of the Year (1990, 1993)
'''As assistant coach:'''
* [[NBA All-Star Game]] ([[2016 NBA All-Star Game|2016]])
* [[Lega Basket Serie A|Lega Serie A]] champion (1984)
* 2× [[Italian Basketball Cup|Italian Cup]] champion (1984, 1989)
| FIBA_HOF_coach = Ettore-Messina
| medaltemplates = 
{{MedalSport|Men's [[basketball]]}}
{{MedalCountry|{{bk|ITA}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[EuroBasket]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[EuroBasket 1997|1997 Spain]]|}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Basketball at the Mediterranean Games|Mediterranean Games]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[Basketball at the 1993 Mediterranean Games|1993 France]]|}}
}}
'''Ettore Messina''' (born 30 September 1959) is an Italian professional [[basketball]] coach who is the head coach of [[Pallacanestro Olimpia Milano|Olimpia Milano]] of the Italian [[Lega Basket Serie A]] (LBA). He has won four [[EuroLeague Finals|EuroLeague championships]] as a [[head coach]]. Messina is regarded as one of the best European basketball coaches of all time, having been named one of the [[50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors]] in 2008.

He was named the [[Lega Basket Serie A awards|Italian League's Best Coach]] three times, in the years 1998, 2001, and 2005. Furthermore, he has been named [[EuroLeague]]'s [[EuroLeague Coach of the Year Award|Coach of the Year]] twice, in 2006 and 2008. He was inducted into the [[Italian Basketball Hall of Fame]] in 2008, and into the Russian [[VTB United League Hall of Fame]], in 2019. Messina also previously worked with the [[San Antonio Spurs]], as an assistant coach for [[Gregg Popovich]], from 2014 to 2019.

==Club coaching career==
===Virtus Bologna===
Messina had two different stints (1989–1993 and 1997–2002) as the [[head coach]] at the [[Lega Basket Serie A|Italian League]] team, [[Virtus Pallacanestro Bologna|Virtus Bologna]]. In the 1989–90 season, he won the [[Italian Basketball Cup|Italian Cup]] and also the second-tier level European-wide league, the [[FIBA Saporta Cup|FIBA Cup Winners' Cup]], against [[Real Madrid Baloncesto|Real Madrid]], in [[Florence]]. He also won the [[Lega Basket Serie A|Italian League]] national championship in 1993. During his second stint at Virtus, he coached the team to win the [[European professional club basketball pyramid|first-tier]] level European-wide [[EuroLeague]] championship, in both [[1998 EuroLeague Final Four|1997–98]] and [[2001 EuroLeague Finals|2000–01]]. He also added two [[Lega Basket Serie A|Italian League]] championships to his trophy case in 1998 and 2001, as well as three [[Italian Basketball Cup|Italian Cup]] titles in 1999, 2001, and 2002.

===Benetton Treviso===
Messina then served as the head coach of the Italian League club [[Pallacanestro Treviso|Benetton Treviso]], where he succeeded [[Mike D'Antoni]] as head coach, in 2002. He stayed there for 3 seasons. With Treviso, he won the [[Lega Basket Serie A|Italian League]] championship in 2003, and also the [[Italian Basketball Cup|Italian Cup]] title thrice, adding them to a total streak of 5 consecutive titles, with two different clubs.

===CSKA Moscow===
Messina then joined the Russian club [[PBC CSKA Moscow|CSKA Moscow]] in 2005, and led the team to the EuroLeague's [[2006 EuroLeague Final Four|2005–06 title]], and the coveted [[European Basketball Triple Crown|Triple Crown]], in his first season there. On 4 May 2008, CSKA won the EuroLeague championship again under Messina - the club gained its sixth EuroLeague title by downing [[Maccabi Tel Aviv B.C.|Maccabi Tel Aviv]] at the [[Euroleague 2007–08 Final Four|2007–08 Madrid]] edition of the [[EuroLeague Final Four]]. He resigned from CSKA immediately after leading them to a [[Russian Professional Basketball Championship|Russian Championship]] and the [[2009 EuroLeague Final Four|EuroLeague Final]], during the [[Euroleague 2008–09|2008–09 season]]. He was offered a position as the technical director at CSKA, but at the time of his resignation, he had not decided whether or not he wanted to stay with the club.<ref name="Resignation - EL">{{cite web|url=http://www.euroleague.net/news/i/50172/180/item |title=Messina era ends, Pashutin hired at CSKA! |publisher=[[EuroLeague|Euroleague.net]] |date=8 June 2009 |access-date=9 June 2009}}</ref>

===Real Madrid===
Messina was announced as the new head coach of the [[Liga ACB|Spanish League]] club [[Real Madrid Baloncesto|Real Madrid]], on 18 June 2009,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.euroleague.net/euroleaguenews/transactions/2009-10-signings/i/54578/3694/real-madrid-messina-takes-over-as-head-coach |title=Real Madrid: Messina takes over as head coach |publisher=Euroleague.net |date=18 June 2009 |access-date=19 June 2009}}</ref> and signed his contract with the club the following day. After Real Madrid had several poor performances, Messina resigned from the club's head coach position, in March 2011.<ref>{{cite news|title=Ettore Messina officially leaves Real Madrid|url=http://www.sportando.com/en/europe/spain/85745/ettore-messina-officially-leaves-real-madrid.html|access-date=30 November 2014|work=Sportando.com|date=4 March 2011}}</ref>

===Los Angeles Lakers===
Messina was frequently the subject of speculation linking him with vacant coaching jobs in the [[National Basketball Association|NBA]]. For example, he was one of the many coaches in the discussion for the [[Sacramento Kings]] head coaching role, and it was also rumored that he would join the [[Toronto Raptors]] and [[San Antonio Spurs]] coaching staffs. Messina eventually agreed to join the [[Los Angeles Lakers]], as part of head coach [[Mike Brown (basketball, born 1970)|Mike Brown]]'s coaching staff, as a full-time consultant to the head coach, for the 2011–12 season.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=20025 |title=Hoopsworld.com Lakers: Messina to Consult Brown |access-date=5 June 2011 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607021733/http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=20025 |archive-date=7 June 2011 }}.</ref>

===Return to CSKA Moscow===
In June 2012, Messina decided to leave his job as a consultant for the [[Los Angeles Lakers]], and he returned to [[PBC CSKA Moscow|CSKA Moscow]], to become the team's head coach.<ref>{{cite web|last=McMenamin|first=Dave|title=Ettore Messina joins CSKA Moscow|url=https://www.espn.com/los-angeles/nba/story/_/id/8044585/los-angeles-lakers-consultant-ettore-messina-coach-cska-moscow|work=[[ESPN]]|date=12 June 2012 |publisher=ESPNLosAngeles.com|access-date=23 August 2012}}</ref> In June 2014, he parted ways with CSKA Moscow.<ref>{{cite news|title=CSKA Moscow, Messina part ways|url=http://www.euroleague.net/news/i/138029|access-date=16 June 2014|work=Euroleague.net|date=16 June 2014}}</ref>

===San Antonio Spurs===
On 15 July 2014, Messina was hired by the [[San Antonio Spurs]], as an assistant coach.<ref>{{cite news|title=Spurs Announce Ettore Messina Assistant Coach|url=http://www.nba.com/spurs/news/140715_spurs_announce_etorre_messina_assistant|access-date=15 July 2014|work=NBA.com|date=15 July 2014}}</ref> On 16 October 2014, Messina would coach the Spurs in a 121–90 preseason win against the [[Phoenix Suns]], due to [[Gregg Popovich]] being unable to travel with the team at the time.<ref>{{cite news|title=Ettore Messina will serve as acting coach for the Spurs in Phoenix|url=http://www.sportando.com/en/usa/nba/137879/ettore-messina-will-serve-as-acting-coach-for-the-spurs-in-phoenix.html|access-date=30 November 2014|work=Sportando.com|date=16 October 2014}}</ref>

Messina would later take on the role of the World Team's head coach in the [[Rising Stars Challenge#2016 game|2016]] NBA [[Rising Stars Challenge]]. On 7–8 March 2016, Messina again served as head coach of the Spurs, for two games, due to [[Gregg Popovich]] leaving the team for a family emergency.<ref>[http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2016/03/07/popovich-to-miss-spurs-next-two-games/?ls=iref:nbahpts POPOVICH TO MISS SPURS’ NEXT TWO GAMES.]</ref> On 19 April 2018, Messina temporarily took over head coaching duties of the team in their playoff series versus the [[Golden State Warriors]], due to Popovich having left the team in light of his wife's death the previous night.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ley |first1=Tom |title=Gregg Popovich Won't Coach Spurs In Game 3 Following Death Of His Wife |url=https://deadspin.com/gregg-popovich-wont-coach-spurs-in-game-3-following-dea-1825388872 |website=Deadspin |access-date=14 June 2019 |date=19 April 2018}}</ref>

===Olimpia Milano===
On 11 June 2019, Messina signed a three-year contract, and agreed to become the new head coach and President of Basketball Operations of the Italian club [[Pallacanestro Olimpia Milano|Olimpia Milano]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Ettore Messina is Olimpia Milan's New Head Coach |url=http://www.olimpiamilano.com/en/ettore-messina-is-olimpia-milans-new-head-coach/ |website=olimpiamilano.com |access-date=14 June 2019 |date=11 June 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Legend Messina takes reins in Milan |url=https://www.euroleague.net/news/i/9q6whyyntt9aeq75/legend-messina-takes-reins-in-milan |website=Euroleague.net |access-date=11 June 2019 |date=11 June 2019}}</ref>

==National team coaching career==
From 1993 to 1997 Messina was the head coach of the senior men's [[Italian national basketball team]]. He coached Italy at the [[1993 EuroBasket]] and the [[1995 EuroBasket]], and he also led Italy to the silver medal at the [[1997 EuroBasket]].

In 2016, Messina took a short leave of absence from the San Antonio Spurs, in order to return as the head coach of the [[Italy national basketball team|Azzurri]], with the goal of qualifying for the [[Basketball at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament|2016 Rio Summer Olympic Game]]. Messina coached Italy at the [[2016 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament – Turin|2016 Turin FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament]]. At the qualification tournament, Italy lost to [[Croatia national basketball team|Croatia]], and thus failed to qualify to the 2016 Summer Olympics. He also coached Italy at the [[2017 EuroBasket]].

==Coaching record==
{{Euroleague coach statistics legend}}
{{Euroleague coach statistics start}}
|-
| align="left" rowspan=6|[[Virtus Pallacanestro Bologna|Virtus Bologna]]
| align="left" |[[1991–92 Euroleague|1991–92]]
|19||13||6||{{Winning percentage|13|6}}|| align="center" |Lost in Quarterfinal Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |[[1992–93 Euroleague|1992–93]]
|16||8||8||{{Winning percentage|8|8}}|| align="center" |Lost in Quarterfinal Playoffs
|- ! style="background:#FDE910;"
| align="left" |[[1997–98 Euroleague|1997–98]]
|22||19||3||{{Winning percentage|19|3}}|| align="center" |'''Won [[1998 Euroleague Final Four|EuroLeague Championship]]'''
|- 
| align="left" |[[1998–99 Euroleague|1998–99]]
|23||15||8||{{Winning percentage|15|8}}|| align="center" |Lost in [[1999 Euroleague Final Four|EuroLeague Finals]]
|- ! style="background:#FDE910;"
| align="left" |[[2000–01 Euroleague|2000–01]]
|23||20||3||{{Winning percentage|20|3}}||align="center" |'''Won [[2001 Euroleague Finals|EuroLeague Championship]]'''
|- 
| align="left" |[[2002–03 Euroleague|2001–02]]
|22||17||5||{{Winning percentage|17|5}}|| align="center" |Lost in [[2002 Euroleague Final Four|EuroLeague Finals]]
|- 
| align="left" rowspan=3|[[Treviso Basket|Treviso]]
| align="left" |[[2002–03 Euroleague|2002–03]]
|22||18||4||{{Winning percentage|18|4}}|| align="center" |Lost in [[2003 Euroleague Final Four|EuroLeague Finals]]
|- 
| align="left" |[[2003–04 Euroleague|2003–04]]
|20||14||6||{{Winning percentage|14|6}}|| align="center" |Eliminated at Top 16 Stage
|- 
| align="left" |[[2004–05 Euroleague|2004–05]]
|22||12||10||{{Winning percentage|12|10}}|| align="center" |Lost in Quarterfinal Playoffs
|-
| align="left" rowspan=5|[[PBC CSKA Moscow|CSKA Moscow]]
|- ! style="background:#FDE910;"
| align="left" |[[2005–06 Euroleague|2005–06]]
|24||19||5||{{Winning percentage|19|5}}|| align="center" |'''Won [[2006 Euroleague Final Four|EuroLeague Championship]]'''
|- 
| align="left" |[[2006–07 Euroleague|2006–07]]
|25||22||3||{{Winning percentage|22|3}}|| align="center" |Lost in [[2007 Euroleague Final Four|EuroLeague Finals]]
|- ! style="background:#FDE910;"
| align="left" |[[2007–08 Euroleague|2007–08]]
|25||20||5||{{Winning percentage|20|5}}|| align="center" |'''Won [[2008 Euroleague Final Four|Euroleague Championship]]'''
|- 
| align="left" |[[2008–09 Euroleague|2008–09]]
|21||16||5||{{Winning percentage|16|5}}|| align="center" |Lost in [[2009 Euroleague Final Four|EuroLeague Finals]]
|- 
| align="left" rowspan=2|[[Real Madrid Baloncesto|Real Madrid]]
| align="left" |[[2009–10 Euroleague|2009–10]]
|20||12||8||{{Winning percentage|12|8}}|| align="center" |Lost in Quarterfinal Playoffs
|- 
| align="left" |[[2010–11 Euroleague|2010–11]]
|16||11||5||{{Winning percentage|11|5}}|| align="center" |(resigned)
|- 
| align="left" rowspan=2|[[PBC CSKA Moscow|CSKA Moscow]]
| align="left" |[[2012–13 Euroleague|2012–13]]
|26||21||5||{{Winning percentage|21|5}}|| align="center" |Lost in [[2013 Euroleague Final Four|EuroLeague Semifinals]]
|- 
| align="left" |[[2013–14 Euroleague|2013–14]]
|31||22||9||{{Winning percentage|22|9}}|| align="center" |Lost in [[2014 Euroleague Final Four|EuroLeague Semifinals]]
|- 
| align="left" rowspan=3|[[Olimpia Milano|AX Armani Exchange Milan]]
| align="left" |[[2019-20 Euroleague|2019-20]]
|28||12||16||{{Winning percentage|12|16}}|| align="center" | Season was cancelled due to the [[Covid-19 Pandemic]]
|- 
| align="left" |[[2020-21 EuroLeague|2020-21]]
|41||25||16||{{Winning percentage|25|16}}|| align="center" |Lost in [[2021 EuroLeague Final Four|EuroLeague Semifinals]]
|- 
| align="left" |[[2021-22 EuroLeague|2021-22]]
| || || || ||
|-class="sortbottom"
| align="center" colspan=2|'''Career'''||377||279||98||{{Winning percentage|279|98}}||
{{s-end}}

===Domestic Leagues===
{{Euroleague coach statistics start}}
|-
| align="left" |[[PBC CSKA Moscow]]
| align="left" |[[2007–08 Russian Basketball Super League A|2007–08]]
|32||31||1||.9688 || align="center"| Won 2008 [[Russian Basketball Super League 1|Russian Super League 1 Finals]] 
|-
| align="left" |[[PBC CSKA Moscow]]
| align="left" |2008–09
|32||30||2||.9375 || align="center"| Won 2009 [[Russian Basketball Super League 1|Russian Super League 1 Finals]]
|-
| align="left" |[[Real Madrid Baloncesto|Real Madrid]]
| align="left" |[[2009–10 ACB season|2009–10]]
|42||31||11||.7381 || align="center"| Lost [[2010 ACB Playoffs|2010 Liga ACB Second Round]] 
|-
| align="left" |[[Real Madrid Baloncesto|Real Madrid]]
| align="left" |[[2010–11 ACB season|2010–11]]
|40||29||11||.7250 || align="center"| Lost [[2011 ACB Playoffs|2011 Liga ACB Second Round]] 
|-
| align="left" |[[PBC CSKA Moscow]]
| align="left" |[[2012–13 VTB United League|2012–13]]
|31||24||7||.7742 || align="center"| Won 2013 VTB United League Finals
|-
| align="left" |[[PBC CSKA Moscow]]
| align="left" |[[2013–14 VTB United League|2013–14]]
|29||24||5||.8276 || align="center"| Won 2014 VTB United League Finals
|-
| align="left" |[[Olimpia Milano|AX Armani Exchange Olimpia Milan]]
| align="left" |[[2019–20 LBA season|2019–20]]
|21||14||7||.7500 || align="center"| League cancelled due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]
|-
| align="left" |[[Olimpia Milano|AX Armani Exchange Olimpia Milan]]
| align="left" |[[2020–21 LBA season|2020–21]]
|38||28||10||.7368 || align="center"| Lost [[2021 LBA Playoffs|2021 Italian League Finals]]
|-class="sortbottom"
| align="center" colspan=2|'''Career'''||265|||213|||52||.8038|| 
{{s-end}}

==See also==
* [[List of EuroLeague-winning head coaches]]
* [[List of foreign NBA coaches]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.euroleague.net/competition/coaches/showcoach?clubcode=csk&seasoncode=E2014&pcode=WAF Euroleague.net Coaching Profile]
*[http://www.acb.com/entrenador/trayectoria-logros/id/20300294 Spanish League Coaching Profile] {{in lang|es}}
*[http://web.legabasket.it/coach/coach.phtml?id=MES-ETT Italian League Coaching Profile] {{in lang|it}}
*[http://www.euroleague.net/news/i/34334/history-principal-2 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors Ettore Messina]

{{Olimpia Milano current roster}}
{{Navboxes|list1=
{{Italy Squad EuroBasket 1997}}
{{Virtus Bologna 1997–98 Euroleague champions}}
{{Virtus Bologna 2000–01 Euroleague champions}}
{{PBC CSKA Moscow 2005–06 Euroleague champions}}
{{PBC CSKA Moscow 2007–08 Euroleague champions}}
{{Euroleague Coach of the Year Award}}
{{Euroleague50}}
{{FIBA Hall of Fame}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Messina, Ettore}}
[[Category:1959 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:EuroLeague–winning coaches]]
[[Category:Italian basketball coaches]]
[[Category:Italian expatriate basketball people in Russia]]
[[Category:Italian expatriate basketball people in Spain]]
[[Category:Italian expatriate basketball people in the United States]]
[[Category:Italian expatriate sportspeople in Russia]]
[[Category:Liga ACB head coaches]]
[[Category:FIBA Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Olimpia Milano coaches]]
[[Category:Pallacanestro Treviso coaches]]
[[Category:PBC CSKA Moscow coaches]]
[[Category:Real Madrid basketball coaches]]
[[Category:San Antonio Spurs assistant coaches]]
[[Category:Virtus Bologna coaches]]