The French Basketball Federation announced Thursday morning two changes in the composition of the staff of the French team which is preparing the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Laurent Foirest, who had not been reappointed to his position as assistant to Vincent Collet at the beginning of October, is replaced by Kenny Atkinson. Frédéric Sarre (62), former coach and then sports director of Bourg-en-Bresse, where he retired at the beginning of the fall, was appointed deputy general manager under Boris Diaw, replacing Yann Barbitch, who held the position since 2021.
Atkinson’s name and profile were already circulating last summer after the World Cup fiasco (elimination in the first round in Indonesia). The former coach of the Brooklyn Nets and current first assistant to Steve Kerr within the Golden State Warriors, in the NBA, ticked all the boxes sought by the FFBB, which announced on October 10 that it was looking for a “more complementary profile », undoubtedly with an NBA pedigree. This is the case for the native of Huntington (New York State).
He played and coached in France
French-speaking, Francophile, and well known in the French Championship for having frequented the anteroom for a long time as a player (Nantes, Évreux, Mulhouse, Golbey-Épinal from 2000 to 2004, as well as a stint in the elite in Montpellier), Atkinson, a trained playmaker (1.85 m, 56 years old) even coached there for his debut on the benches, assistant to Gordon Herbert at Paris Basket Racing from 2004 to 2006.
Recognized as one of the best assistants on the American market – New York Knicks from 2008 to 2012, Atlanta 2012-2016, LA Clippers 2020-2021 – Atkinson also stood out as a head coach, working miracles from side of the Brooklyn Nets (2016-2020) before joining the Warriors staff and being crowned NBA champion with Golden State in 2022.
Sarre already back in business
As for Frédéric Sarre (62 years old), he returns to service just a few months after announcing his retirement after thirty-nine years at the high level, from Limoges to Bourg via Pau or Strasbourg (seven championship titles, coach of the year in 2005 and 2012). But the French team and the 2024 Paris Olympics are two things that cannot be refused. Yann Barbitch, sports director since 2014, not wishing to continue in his role as deputy to GM Boris Diaw, the way was clear. Sarre will be hard at work from the next international window (qualifying for Euro 2025), in February 2024.
