Kārlis Muižnieks (original) (raw)

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Latvian basketball player

Kārlis Muižnieks

Personal information
Born (1964-03-17) March 17, 1964 (age 60)Riga, Latvian SSR, Soviet Union
Nationality Latvian
Career information
Playing career 1986–1999
Coaching career 1999–present
Career history
As player:
1986–1988 VEF Rīga
1988–1989 CSKA Moscow
1989–1990 VEF Rīga
1990 Erie Wave
1990–1993 Brocēni
1993–1994 Maccabi Haifa
1994–1995 Brocēni
1996–1997 Donetsk
1997 Liepāja Baltika
1997–1999 Ventspils
As coach:
1999–2001 Ventspils (assistant)
2001–2007 Ventspils
2007–2008 Barons/LMT
2009–2012 Trefl Sopot
2012–2013 Kryvbasbasket
2013–2015 Khimik
2015–2017 Ventspils
2019–2020 Prometey Kamianske
Career highlights and awards
As player: 3x Latvian League champion (1992, 1993, 1995) As a coach: Ukrainian SuperLeague champion (2015) Polish League Best Coach (2012) 2x Polish Cup winner (2012) FIBA EuroCup champion (2008) 6x Latvian League champion (2002–2006, 2008)

Kārlis Muižnieks (born March 17, 1964, in Riga, Latvian SSR, Soviet Union) is a Latvian professional basketball coach and former player. He was most recently the head coach of Prometey Kamianske of the Ukrainian SuperLeague.[1]

Muižnieks had solid career as player, which is followed by prolific coaching career. As head coach Muižnieks has led his teams to multiple championships, winning titles in domestic and international competitions. So far he has been most successful in Latvia, where he has guided his teams to six Latvian League titles (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008). First success in European club tournaments Muižnieks had with BK Ventspils, where in 2002/2003 his squad he finished third in FIBA Europe Champions Cup, where in bronze medal game they upset KK Hemofarm and their up-and-coming star Darko Milicic. Later, in 2004/2005, Muižnieks led Ventspils to ULEB Cup quarterfinals in 2004/2005. Few years later in 2007/2008, his Barons/LMT won FIBA EuroCup title.

In 2011/2012, as coach of Polish side Trefl Sopot, he was named as the Coach of the Year in Poland.[2][3] Under coach Muižnieks Trefl Sopot won Polish Cup and for the first time made league finals, where they lost only in Game 7 to Asseco Prokom. Success under Muižnieks in Polish league clinched EuroCup berth for Trefl Sopot.

In summer 2012, Muižnieks moved to Ukraine and joined BC Khimik. Muižnieks' squad had a strong season as Khimik made Eurocup quarterfinals for the first time in club history and reached finals of Ukrainian League. On May 6, 2015, Muižnieks finished season with Ukrainian championship and perfect record for Khimik, 36–0.[4]

Muižnieks was also Latvian National Team head coach from 2004 to 2008.

He is the nephew of Latvian basketball legend Valdis Muižnieks.

  1. ^ "KARLIS MUIZNIEKS basketball profile". eurobasket.com. Retrieved 2010-04-02.
  2. ^ "Najlepszy trener TBL: Karlis Muiznieks". plk.pl (in Polish). 18 April 2012. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
  3. ^ "Muižnieks - gada labākais treneris Polijā" (in Latvian). 18 April 2012.
  4. ^ "Khimik is the new Ukrainian champion". www.sportando.com. Archived from the original on 2015-05-09.