Kestutis Kemzura named new head coach25 january 2007

On Thursday BC Khimki’s directors signed on the Lithuanian Kentutis Kemzura as head coach for the team. This 36-year-old b-ball expert will head up the Moscow Region Club until the end of this season, though it's possible his contract could be extended into the next. Assisting him: Russell Bergman, Alexei Vadeev, Oleg Meleschenko, and Mikhail Soloviev.

Kentutis was born 20 April 1970, with a sports career that includes playing for Zalgiris (Kaunas, Lithuania; both youth and main team from 1987-92); Atletas (Kaunas, Lithuania, 1993-96); BC Silute (Lithuania, 1996-98), Lietuvos Rytas (Vilnius, Lithuania, 1998-99); Kalnapils (Panevezys, Lithuania, 1999-2000); and the Swans (Gmunden, Austria, 2000-01).

He participated in games for the Lithuanian National Team, two-time champion LKL (Lithuanian Basketball League, 1988-90), and three-time vice champion for the Nationals (1993-96). Kentutis assisted the head coach for Besiktas (Turkey, 2001/02) and Lietuvos Rytas: Jona Kazlauskas (2002/04, the club faced off against BC Khimki in the FIBA European League in 2004). Dynamo SPb (2004/05), and Benetton Treviso, Italy, 2005/06; and was assistant for both clubs for the Russian National Team’s head coach, David Blatt.

In 1992 he graduated from the Lithuanian Institute for Physical Education, is a member of the Lithuanian Association of Coaches, and speaks Lithuanian, Russian, and English.

Kentutis will coach the “Moscow Region Derby” this Saturday against his opponent Rutenis Paulauskas.
Author: BC Khimki