Coach Zouros stays in Zalgiris 0

Zalgiris Kaunas agreed to a new deal with head coach Ilias Zouros to keep him for the coming season. The 45-year-old Zouros joined Zalgiris in January and led the team to the Lithuanian League, Baltic League and Lithuanian Cup titles.

The Zalgiris position marked his first Euroleague job in nine years after coaching Olympiacos at the start of the millennium. In between he found success at numerous stops in several counties, including his native Greece.

Zouros was named the 2010 Eurocup Coach of the Year after guiding Panellinios to both the Eurocup and Greek League semifinals. He started his coaching career at age 20 with the cadet and the junior teams at Panionios. Zouros worked as an assistant coach at Peristeri, Sporting, Maroussi, Olympiacos and the Greek national team.

In the summer of 2000, he was named head coach of Olympiacos, replacing the legendary Giannis Ioannidis, and led that team to the Euroleague quarterfinals. He remained at Olympiacos until February 2002, and then moved to Sagesse in Lebanon, which he guided to the Asian Club Championship. Afterwards, he returned to Greece with Near East and Aris Thessaloniki and also spent time in France with Racing Paris Levallois.

Zouros also serves as the head coach of the Greek national team, which will keep him busy at EuroBasket 2011. Zouros could potentially meet several of his Zalgiris players if Greece faces Lithuania this summer.