Konstantin Kucher on Saratov’s changes at head coach.
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Avtodor Saratov made headlines when club president Vladimir Rodionov fired head coach Nikolai Mazurs after the opening game defeat in Astana. Yes, Avtodor struggled in the preseason and perhaps the move needed to be made. But facts are facts: Saratov and coaching changes have become synonymous over the last 2+ seasons.
Some people joke that coaching at Avtodor is like being an army sapper, with the only difference being that a sapper at least has a chance to complete the task. But the jokes miss the main point. Each of Saratov’s previous coaching changes have ultimately helped the team.
You can argue about Vladimir Rodionov’s methods, but there’s no escaping the obvious. His approach seems to work.
2014-15 Season
Head Coach: Vladimir Antsiferov
Fired: October 22, 2014
Reason
Vladimir Rodionov: The club has made a change on the coaching staff. I’m confident that the move will help the team’s play improve.
- Antsiferov posted an 0-3 record as head coach
Successor: Sergei Mokin
Result
Technically, this was only a cosmetic change. Head coach Antsiferov became an associate coach, while former associate Sergei Mokin took over the top job. Nevertheless, the move brought a result. Avtodor found its footing in its debut season, got in a rhythm, and scored several upsets. By spring, Saratov was in contention for a playoff spot. But Vladimir Rodionov wanted more.
Head Coach: Sergei Mokin
Fired: March 2, 2015
Reason
Vladimir Rodionov: Lately, something has stopped working on the team. In these situations, the head coach usually takes responsibility, which is what Mokin did. The club thanks its ex-coach for the work he’s done. Why am I taking over the team, and not someone else? There are only two months left in the season. There’s no point inviting someone from the outside. After all, it will take him a lot of time to understand what’s going on before he can implement his own strategy. The important thing right now is to touch up the system that was working until recently and delivering results, so that we can finish the season in similar fashion.
- Sergei Mokin posted a 9-12 record as head coach
Successor: Vladimir Rodionov
Outcome
Under Sergei Mokin, Avtodor played exciting basketball, but the team clearly struggled with consistency. Wins over UNICS, Khimki, and Lokomotiv were offset by losses to VEF and Astana. Saratov needed a firm hand, which it got from Vladimir Rodionov.
The president’s return to the bench had an immediate impact. Under Rodionov, Saratov won eight of its final nine regular-season games.
The cherry on top was Avtodor’s road win against reigning champs CSKA. The two teams put on a show for the fans on the final day of the season, with the visitors squeaking out a 107-104 victory.
Unfortunately, Rodionov’s magic ran out in the playoffs. Khimki Moscow Region got upset a year earlier by Nizhny Novgorod in the first round and made sure it didn’t happen again against Avtodor. The Yellow-Blues swept Saratov, 3-0, to send the team packing.
2015-16 Season
Head Coach: Brad Greenberg
Fired: November 13, 2015
Reason
Vladimir Rodionov: The American coach’s practices were too intense. He also overloaded the players during games, causing a lot of injuries. I’ll admit, I saw it coming. Plus, at the end of preseason, Greenberg and I talked about the fact that Avtodor has preached quick, up-tempo basketball for 30 years. We sign players for that specific style of play… Greenberg and I had several lengthy discussions. I tried more than once to convince him of the necessity of playing up-tempo basketball… Every year, we’ve demonstrated an almost unthinkable speed of play, which the fans love. That’s why we manage to attract sold-out crowds. Every time, I’ve built my team around the point guard, then added the rest of the players. I tried to convince Greenberg of this, but he continued to stick to his guns. Brad did not agree to our wishes, and we had to change direction.
- Brad Greenberg was 3-4 as head coach
Successor: Alexey Vasilyev
Outcome
Alexey Vasilyev’s appointment as head coach brought an instant result. Saratov picked up the pace, got better on offense, and started winning games. In addition to the coaching change, a big key was replacing American Malcolm Armstead with Paul Stoll. The Mexican point guard didn’t have much of a reputation in Europe and some risk was involved. But the approach worked perfectly. The guard proved to be the missing link that made the rest of the team tick. His ability to get into the lane, distribute, and knock down 3’s were indispensable.
Vasilyev’s appointment led to a six-game winning streak and VTB League scoring record (131 points vs. Astana). The Black-Whites were in line for a playoff spot and the future looked rosy. But not for long. A few losses in the Eurocup and VTB League forced Vladimir Rodionov to take drastic measures once again.
Head Coach: Alexey Vasilyev
Fired: January 29, 2016
Reason
Alexey Vasilyev: I’m grateful to Avtodor for the opportunity to work as head coach on a VTB United League team. This was important and very useful experience. The first month was very successful. We won a lot of games, but now, after a series of defeats, I can sense the team needs to go in a different direction.
Avtodor is a team with big ambitions. I wish the team luck in the future and am confident that they can achieve big results and bring joy to Saratov’s many fans.
- Alexey Vasilyev went 6-2 in the VTB United League
Successor: Vladimir Antsiferov
Outcome
Antsiferov snapped the losing streak immediately with a win in the Eurocup. Avtodor also got back on track in the VTB League. While retaining the up-tempo approach and perimeter attack, the new head coach restored confidence in the team’s leaders. Antsiferov had such a positive impact that Avtodor went on to win 10 straight in the League, a cub record.
Avtodor clinched a spot in the postseason and set two more scoring records, including a 135-point outburst on the road against Bisons, the current League standard.
But, like the previous season, Saratov’s magic ran out in the playoffs. The team ended the regular season with back to back losses and couldn’t turn things around in the postseason. Expected to be competitive with Zenit, Avtodor instead got swept, failing to win a single playoff game for the second consecutive year.
2016-17 Season
Head Coach: Nikolai Mazurs
Fired: October 3, 2016
Reason:
Vladimir Rodionov: As a result of the team’s unsatisfactory preparation for the season and poor play in the first official game, we decided not to tempt fate further and return to a tested option in Sergei Mokin as head coach. He knows and understand Avtodor’s up-tempo game. He played on the team and worked here as head coach. At this time, we think there’s no one better than Mokin in terms of charisma and understanding Avtodor’s game philosophy.
- Nikolai Mazurs lost his only game as Avtodor head coach
Successor: Sergei Mokin
Outcome
It’s still early to talk about results, but one can understand the logic behind Mazurs’s dismissal. For Vladimir Rodionov, either poor results or lack of speed were the reasons for a coaching change. In Mazurs’s case, both factors were present.
The game in Astana was Avtodor’s fifth loss in six outings, including the preseason. For those who saw the games, it was evident that the team was not playing at its typical speed and looked weaker than it had in previous seasons. Evidently, Vladimir Rodionov did not want to things to get worse and took preventive measures.
The move has already had a result. Avtodor defeated rival Nizhny Novgorod in Mokin’s first game in charge. Not only did Avtodor win, but it did so by outgunning Nizhny, pushing the ball in transition every chance it got. That’s what Vladimir Rodionov expects from his team. Avtodor brought back its trademark style and the wins should follow.