
Guillaume Quintard dismissed from SCABB after catastrophic season start
Benjamin Guillot
The SCABB (Saint-Chamond-Andrézieux-Bouthéon Basket) officially announced this Monday the dismissal of Guillaume Quintard, just six games into the Elite 2 season. With only one win and the worst defense in the league, the ambitious Loire project is already in crisis.
Arriving in 2023 at Andrézieux to lead the National 1 team, Guillaume Quintard had earned his leaders’ trust thanks to his good results with SCABB Lab in NM1, leading to his appointment as SCABB’s Elite 2 head coach. But results quickly declined: despite having the 5th highest payroll in the division – which wasn’t fully used to build what was considered a solid roster in preseason but ultimately disappointed, exemplified by point guard Al-Amir Dawes, who showed low defensive intensity and shot worse than expected – the Loire team accumulated poor performances, with the latest loss at Challans (78-77), previously last place, sealing his fate. Without even being able to choose his assistants or modify the roster, despite keeping some budget aside, the former assistant coach of Metropolitans 92 and Chorale de Roanne was relieved of his duties.
While awaiting the official appointment of a new coach, Allan Ferraton is serving as interim, supported by Maxence Collignon and Mathieu Guichard. The trio will lead the team Friday for the home game against La Rochelle, already a crucial match to revive the team in the Forez region.
According to our sources, Julien Cortey, former coach of Stade Rochelais Basket, is the frontrunner to take over the team. The Roanne native, deeply attached to his region, fits the profile SCABB’s management is looking for: an experienced, rigorous technician known for his ability to build for the long term.
Pro B champion in 2024 with La Rochelle, Cortey had been extended until 2029 before leaving the club at the end of the 2024-2025 season, disappointed by the stalled infrastructure project and structural limitations of the coastal club. His arrival would mark a return to his roots for someone who has already coached in the Loire, at Feurs, and has always claimed his attachment to the territory.
« In summer, when many people head to the ocean, I return to Roanne, » he humorously recalled to Le Progrès in December 2024.
The likely arrival of Julien Cortey could be accompanied by a deeper reorganization of the project. The club is indeed working on bringing in a new sports director to replace Cyrille Chapot, former deputy sports director and employee of Andrézieux-Bouthéon Loire sud basket, who took over the position when SCABB was launched. After several disappointing seasons despite an increasing budget, management wants to breathe new life into a project meant to aim for promotion to Betclic ELITE in the medium term, followed by European qualification.
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