Dragan Raca

Dragan Raca
Macedonia
Position Head coach
Personal information
Born (1961-03-03) 3 March 1961
Bosansko Grahovo, Yugoslavia
Nationality Cypriot / Serbian
Career information
Playing career 1984–2002
Coaching career 2002–present
Career history
As player:
1984–1986 Kvarner
1986–1989 Šibenik
1989–1990 Partizan
1990–1991 ETHA Engomis
1991–1992 AEK Larnaca
1992–1993 Aris Limassol
1993–2000 Keravnos
2000–2001 Achilleas Kaimakli
2001–2002 AEL Limassol
As coach:
2002–2005 AEL Limassol
2004–2005 Cyprus
2005 Andorra
2005 Iraklis Thessaloniki
2006–2007 APOEL
2007–2009 Lebanon
2008 Olympia Patras
2008–2009 AEL Limassol
2010 Apollon Limassol
2010–2014 Guangzhou Free Man
2016–present Macedonia
Career highlights and awards

As player:

Dragan Raca (born 3 March 1961 in Bosansko Grahovo, Yugoslavia) is a Serbian professional basketball coach and former coach of the Lebanon national basketball team.

Raca has spent his professional career in Cyprus, Lebanon and China. This includes stints with Cypriot sides AEL Limasol and APOEL Nicosia and Lebanese side Hekmeh.[1] He has also coached the Lebanon national basketball team at both the FIBA Asia Championship 2007 and FIBA Asia Championship 2009, leading the team to a silver medal in 2007.[2] Despite the team's disappointing fourth-place finish in 2009, they were later awarded a wild card to the 2010 FIBA World Championship.[3]

Dragan Raca titles

The Best Rookie Fiba Coach Europe – nominated by FIBA in 2003.

THE BEST EUROPEAN FIBA COACH – officially nominated by FIBA in Munich (June2004)

The Best Coach Of The Year Eurobasket All League (2004)

Coach Of The European Team ( All star game) Europe vs. Rest of the world – Kiev 2004

Coach Of The European Team ( All star game) Europe vs. Rest of the world – Nicosia 2005

Winner Of Super League FIBA Asian 2005/2006.

The Best Coach Of Super League FIBA Asian 2005/2006

His method for physical preparation is officially approved by Indiana University in USA.

Education

Basketball University of Belgrade (Highest Level)

University of mathematics and natural science in Belgrade.

Languages: English, Russian, Greek,

Ex-Yugoslav republic languages

Playing career

Cyprus Aris, AEK, Keravnos, AEL

National team of Cyprus (after gaining naturalization) 1994–1999

Achievements:

Three times best scorer of former Yugoslavia A1

Four times best scorer of Cyprus A1 and the best scorer in the history of Cyprus basketball

Coaching career

Cyprus

AEL (A1) 2002–2003

AEL (A1) 2003–2004

AEL (A1) 2004–2005

Greece

Iraklis (A1) 2005

Lebanon

Sagesse (A1) 2006

Cyprus

Apoel (A1) 2007

Greece

Olimpias Patra (A1) 2008

Cyprus

AEL (A1) 2009

China

Guangzhou FREE MAN NBL, (2010)

Guangzhou FREE MAN NBL, (2011, 2012)

Chongqing FLY DRAGONS, (2013, 2014 )

Achievements

As coach of Eka-AEL (Cyprus)

Champion of Cyprus (Eka-AEL) – club won the title after 15 years
Winner Championship season 2002/2003 – best defensive team(average 62 points)
Winner Championship season 2003/2004 – best defensive team(average 65 points) – best offensive team (86 points) – only one lost game in season
Winner Championship season 2004/2005-best defensive team (average 68 points)
Winner of the National Cup-after 18 years Season 2003/2004-no lost game
Winner of Super cup Season 2003/2004+ FIBA Euroleague-best defensive team(average 61 points)
Winner of FIBA Euro Challenge Cup Season 2002/2003 (10 straight victories in 10 games – unbeaten record)
Nominated for the Coach of the year in all sports in Cyprus in 2003, 2004, 2005
Nominated for The best basketball coach in Cyprus in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009.

As coach of SAGESSE (Lebanon)

Sagesse (Lebanon) (13 games – 11 victories),  best defensive team season 2005/2006
National cup finalist and finalist of Championship

As coach of APOEL NOCOSIA (Cyprus)

Finalist of Championship Season 2007
Best defensive team (average 65 points)
WINNER – SUPER CUP  2008/2009
WINNER – NATIONAL CUP  2008/2009
AEL Proteas EKA – 1st Place after regular season
Best defensive team (average 67 points) – regular season
Best offensive team (average 88 points) – regular season

Coaching career – national teams

Head coach of national team of Cyprus 2004–2005
Won the gold medal on the B Olympics European Championship in Andorra (June 2005, no game lost)
Head coach of national team of Lebanon 2007, 2009
2007. Winner of the silver medal at the Asian Championship in Japan between 16 teams (Lebanon, Iran, Korea, China, Qatar, Jordan, Philippines, Kazakhstan, Taiwan, Japan, Syria, Indonesia, India, Kuwait, Hong Kong, United Emirates). Won the right to take part in FIBA Olympic Qualification Beijing – China 2008.
Winner of the  silver medal at Williams Jones Cup International tournament – China 2007 (between Lebanon, Jordan, Iran, Qatar, Korea, USA, Philippines, Japan, Kazakhstan, Chinese Taipei)

2009. Asian Championship in China 2009. qualification at World Championship in Turkey.

Dragan Raca and Shaquille O'neil

Other achievements

Counsellor, professor and instructor in the coaches schools

Supervisor and organizer of the FREMA international camp 2004

(Europe – Cyprus, Asia – Lebanon, S.America – Brazil)

Instructor of the national program for sport infrastructure support (E.S.Y.A.A. Greece,Cyprus) for four consecutive years

Instructor of the coaches School China Basketball Federation National.

Previews coaches are Dell Harris and Pat Riley.

Books

Wrote several books about basketball: his first one "Basketball" (1998) was translated on eight languages and sold in 68.000 copies. All proceeds from the book Dragan Raca donated to charity, international organization "SOS Villages", children without parents.

Dragan Raca books are now used as school books on Sport Universities.

References

  1. ↑ Dragan Raca at basketpedya.com
  2. ↑ Profile at basketpedya.com
  3. ↑ Profile at turkey2010.fiba.com
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