Official: Francesco Tabellini appointed as Paris Basketball head coach

Francesco Tabellini is the new face of Paris Basketball, as expected. The capital city club officially announced this Monday, June 30, the arrival of the Italian coach as head coach for the next two seasons. He succeeds Tiago Splitter, who left for the NBA, and will be tasked with maintaining the fast-paced and defensive playing identity of the 2025 French champions.

WELCOME TO THE NEW HEAD COACH OF PARIS BASKETBALL : FRANCESCO TABELLINI ! 🖤❤️💙 pic.twitter.com/NvbQ3KIX55

— Paris Basketball (@ParisBasketball) June 30, 2025

A young and ambitious profile for EuroLeague

At 41, Francesco Tabellini hasn’t yet coached in EuroLeague, but his profile appealed to Paris Basketball’s management. After serving as an assistant in Treviso, he began his head coaching career in 2022 in Prague before breaking through at Nymburk. In two seasons leading the Czech club, he won two national championships, reached the Basketball Champions League (BCL) quarter-finals, and was twice named Coach of the Year.

In a statement, Paris Basketball president David Kahn explains this choice: « Francesco Tabellini has proven in recent seasons, in the Czech Republic and BCL, that he can maintain – even improve – our playing identity. His teams are tough defensively, play with high offensive tempo, and win more often than expected. He is demanding and intense. »

Continuity in style and shared vision

Joining a rising club, Francesco Tabellini clearly expressed his commitment to staying true to Paris’ DNA: « I always believed that one day, I would have the chance to coach in EuroLeague. […] With this club, I feel a complete alignment in vision. And I truly believe there’s nothing more powerful than a shared vision. »

This style based on defensive intensity and transition play has already led Paris to win the French Cup and Betclic ELITE last season. Tabellini arrives with a partially retained staff, notably Julius Thomas, promoted to associate coach after two years as assistant under Tuomas Iisalo and then Tiago Splitter.

A pivotal summer for roster rebuilding

The new Italian coach inherits a roster in reconstruction. Several key players left the club this summer, including T.J. Shorts (Panathinaikos), Tyson Ward (Olympiakos), Mikael Jantunen (Fenerbahçe?) and Kevarrious Hayes (Monaco). A new recruitment phase will be crucial to keep Paris Basketball competitive in EuroLeague and domestically. Four new signings are already planned while Nadir Hifi’s extension should be finalized tonight or Tuesday.