Coach bolts Spanish basketball team after Olympics
Aito Garcia Reneses, 61, expected to take over club team Unicaja
Last Updated: Tuesday, August 26, 2008 | 10:33 AM ET
The Associated Press
Aito Garcia Reneses has quit as Spain's basketball coach after leading the national team to a silver medal at the Beijing Olympics.
Garcia Reneses, 61, made use of a clause in his contract that allows him to vacate the position after the games, the Spanish basketball federation announced Tuesday.
"I don't want to coach only for two months a year. At present, I prefer to be active throughout the season," said Garcia Reneses, who is expected to take over at Spanish club Unicaja.
Garcia Reneses, who has nine league trophies and one European Cup on his résumé, made his last appearance on Sunday when the world champions lost 118-107 to the United States in a thrilling Olympic basketball final.
In charge of the Spanish national team for less than three months, Garcia Reneses was the replacement for Jose Vicente "Pepu" Hernandez.
Hernandez led Spain to its first world championship in 2006 and the final of the European championship last year, but was fired after an acrimonious dispute with the federation.
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