After a series of defeats, Hakro Merlins Crailsheim have made their first coaching change of the BBL season – and have once again opted for a Finn.
Now it’s official: After just one win from seven games, Nikola Markovic has to go at bottom-of-the-table Crailsheim and the Finn Jussi Laakso (47) is taking over. The Merlins made the announcement on Tuesday.
Apart from the opening game against the Rostock Seawolves (85:81), Crailsheim has only suffered defeats and went down 58:96 at newly promoted Rasta Vechta on Saturday. The Serbian Markovic, previously assistant coach, took over as head coach in mid-December. In the meantime, former national team player Ingo Freyer had been tipped as his successor.
In the footsteps of Iisalo
Now, however, it’s a Finn – as was the case between 2016 and 2021, when Tuomas Iisalo successfully coached the team from Baden-Württemberg before winning the CL with Bonn and now accompanying the Parisian project. Laakso most recently coached the top club Helsinki Seagulls in his home country and won the cup three times and the championship once (2023) with the team. “Ultimately, the decisive factor was that we haven’t seen any developmental steps within the team recently,” said Ingo Enskat, Sporting Director of the Merlins: “Jussi has really impressed us with his approach to the team in personal discussions over the last few days. “
