Dan Shamir (Hebrew: דן שמיר; born 2 February 1975) is an Israeli professional basketball coach. In 2007 and 2008 he led Hapoel Jerusalem to consecutive Israeli State Cup titles, and in 2018 he led Hapoel Holon to the Israeli State Cup title. In 2018, Shamir was also named the Israeli Basketball Premier League Coach of the Year.

Dan Shamir
דן שמיר
Shamir with Hapoel Holon in October 2016
Bnei Herzliya
PositionHead coach
LeagueIsraeli Basketball Premier League
Personal information
Born (1975-02-02) 2 February 1975 (age 49)
NationalityIsraeli
Coaching career2001–present
Career history
2001–2003Hapoel Jerusalem (assistant)
2003–2006Maccabi Tel Aviv (assistant)
2006–2008Hapoel Jerusalem
2008–2009Dynamo Moscow (assistant)
2009–2011Bnei Hasharon
2011–2013Hapoel Holon
2013–2014CSKA Moscow (assistant)
2014–2015Hapoel Eilat
2015–2019Hapoel Holon
2019–2022New Zealand Breakers
2022–2023Olimpia Milano (assistant)
2023–2024Bnei Herzliya
Career highlights and awards
As head coach:

As assistant coach:

Early life and personal life

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Shamir grew up in Jerusalem, where his family is from. He is Jewish, and some of his family is ultra-religious.[1][2] He played for the Maccabi Jerusalem youth team as a 5' 11" point guard until he was 17 years old.[2][3] He started his coaching career in the Hapoel Jerusalem youth program at the age of 16.[4]

Shamir is married, and has three children.[3] He and his family now live in Auckland, New Zealand.[5]

Coaching career

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In 1999 after completing his military service with the Israel Defense Forces, at 24 years of age Shamir spent one year training under Rick Pitino at the University of Kentucky, which according to him affected him profoundly.[4][6][7]

He then led the Hapoel Jerusalem U-16 team to the state championship, and worked with the U-18 team.[8] In 2001, Shamir was named the assistant coach of Hapoel Jerusalem under head coaches Yoram Harush and Erez Edelstein.[4]

In 2003, Shamir was named the assistant coach of Maccabi Tel Aviv under head coach Pini Gershon. He won two EuroLeague titles in 2004 and 2005, and reached the Euroleague's championship game in 2006.[4]

In 2006, Shamir was named the head coach of Hapoel Jerusalem, and signed a two-year contract.[8][9] He led the team to two consecutive Israeli State Cup titles, in 2007 and 2008.[4]

In 2008, Shamir was named the assistant coach of Dynamo Moscow, under head coach David Blatt.[4]

In 2009, Shamir was named the head coach of Bnei Hasharon.[10][11]

In 2011, Shamir was named the head coach of Hapoel Holon.[4] He also served as assistant coach of the Israeli national basketball team in Eurobasket 2011.[12]

In 2013, Shamir was named the assistant coach of CSKA Moscow under head coach Ettore Messina.[13] Shamir helped CSKA win the VTB United League title, and reach the 2014 Euroleague Final Four, where they eventually lost to his former team Maccabi Tel Aviv.

In 2014, Shamir was named the new head coach of Hapoel Eilat, signing a two-year deal.[14]

On November 27, 2015, Shamir returned to Hapoel Holon for a second stint, replacing Elad Hasin.[15] In the 2016–17 season, Shamir led Holon to the 2017 Israeli League Playoffs as the first seed, but they eventually were eliminated by Maccabi Haifa in the Quarterfinals. On March 5, 2017, Shamir signed a two-year contract extension with Holon.[16]

In the 2017–18 season, Shamir led Holon to the 2018 Israeli State Cup title, and it reached the 2018 Israeli League Finals. On June 14, 2018, Shamir was named the Israeli Basketball Premier League Coach of the Year.[17] In the 2018–19 season, Shamir led Holon to the 2019 Israeli League Playoffs and the 2019 FIBA Europe Cup Semifinals, where they eventually lost to Dinamo Sassari.

In July 2019, Shamir was appointed Director of Basketball at the New Zealand Breakers, joining them as head coach and in an off-the-court role.[18][19][20]

In the 2019-20 NBL season, the Breakers finished with a 15–13 record and did not qualify for the playoffs.[21] In the 2020-21 NBL season, the Breakers finished with a 12–24 record and again did not qualify for the playoffs.[22] Despite missing the playoffs in both of his first two seasons as head coach, Shamir was offered a two-year contract extension in July 2021 to remain at the club until at least the 2023-24 Australian NBL season.[23]

In the 2021-22 NBL season, the Breakers finished at the bottom of the league with a 5–23 record, which was the Breakers' worst finish in franchise history.[24][25] On May 11, 2022, Shamir resigned as head coach of the New Zealand Breakers, with lead assistant coach Mody Maor being named as his replacement later that day.[26]

References

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  1. ^ "'Jewish Jose Mourinho' named new coach at Breakers". Otago Daily Times Online News. 31 July 2019.
  2. ^ a b https://www.pressreader.com/new-zealand/weekend-herald/20200215/283064121357539 – via PressReader. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. ^ a b "From breaking point to the big turnaround, for Dan Shamir it's all about the coaching". Stuff. 29 February 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "דן שמיר יחתום לשנתיים כמאמן הפועל אילת". walla.co.il (in Hebrew). 24 June 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  5. ^ "New Breakers coach Dan Shamir eyes epic challenges: 'We'll have to be so smart'". Stuff. 7 August 2019.
  6. ^ Pick, David. "European Hoops Notebook: Who Will Be the Next David Blatt to Descend on the NBA?". Bleacher Report.
  7. ^ "Isreali [sic] coach Dan Shamir set to sign with the NZ Breakers – Aussiehoopla". aussiehoopla.com.
  8. ^ a b "Safsal, Information, Statistics and daily news about the all the Israeli Basketball Players, Teams and Leagues". safsal-archive.co.il.
  9. ^ "Dan Shamir thrown into the Hapoel Jerusalem cauldron". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 5 November 2006.
  10. ^ "Dan Shamir takes charge of Bnei Hasharon". Sportando.basketball. 19 June 2009. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  11. ^ "Basketball / Dan Shamir: We all knew but didn't discuss Fanan's money". Haaretz.
  12. ^ "Basketball Club Khimki". bckhimki.com.
  13. ^ "CSKA Moscow named Dan Shamir assistant coach". Sportando.basketball. 26 June 2013. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  14. ^ "Hapoel Eilat name Dan Shamir head coach". Sportando.basketball. 24 June 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  15. ^ "עכשיו זה רשמי: דן שמיר מונה למאמן הפועל חולון". one.co.il (in Hebrew). 27 November 2015. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  16. ^ "Hapoel Holon signs Dan Shamir to a two-year contract extension". Sportando.basketball. 5 March 2017. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  17. ^ "סק הנרי שחקן העונה, שמיר הוכתר למאמן העונה". one.co.il (in Hebrew). 14 June 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  18. ^ "Breakers Sign Scotty Hopson, Change Coaching Structure". NBL.com.au. 31 July 2019. Archived from the original on 31 July 2019. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
  19. ^ "National Basketball League | NBL". nbl.com.au.
  20. ^ "Madcap Mody Maor happy to provide the assist for Dan Shamir at NZ Breakers". Stuff. 14 December 2019.
  21. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20160201105510/http://nblclubstatic.s3.amazonaws.com/10898_BASKAUST_MEDIA%20GUIDE_2012-13_NBL.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 February 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2022. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  22. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20160201105510/http://nblclubstatic.s3.amazonaws.com/10898_BASKAUST_MEDIA%20GUIDE_2012-13_NBL.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 February 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2022. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  23. ^ Hinton, Marc (8 July 2021). "New Zealand Breakers extend coaching duo Dan Shamir, Mody Maor for two more years". Stuff. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  24. ^ "National Basketball League | NBL". National Basketball League | NBL. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  25. ^ Hinton, Marc (26 April 2022). "The NZ Breakers' NBL season of torment: Five big questions asked and answered". Stuff. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  26. ^ Hinton, Marc (11 May 2022). "Dan Shamir quits as head coach of NZ Breakers, Mody Maor confirmed to assume top job". Stuff. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
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