France is one of the countries that enjoys playing and watching basketball.
The French national basketball team participates in different international basketball tournaments just like the Olympics, the EuroBasket, and the FIBA World Championships. Of course, the team would not succeed without the aid of the coach, and right now, we will know who the best French coaches are.
Robert Busnel
Robert Busnel was born on September 19, 1914 in Toulon, France. He was a professional basketball player before his coaching career started. His entire basketball career was with the French national basketball team. He started to play for the French national basketball team in the year 1934 up to 1949. In his last year as the player of the team, he led the team to win the silver medal in the 1949 European Championship.
While he was still a member of the French national basketball team, he also coached the said team and the French national women’s basketball team in 1948 to 1960.
The team he coached, both the French national men’s basketball team and the French national women’s basketball team, won the silver medal in the 1948 Summer Olympics, silver medal in 1949 European Chmapionships where he was both a player and coach at the same time, the team also won the bronze medal in the 1951 European Championships and 1953 European Championships and bronze medal in the 1953 Women’s World Championship and that is why he is considered as one of the best French coaches.
He became the technical director of the French Basketball Federation in 1950 to 1964, and eventually became the federation’s president in 1967 to 1980. He became the president of the Standing Conference of Europe, which is now know as the FIBA Europe, from 1976 to 1982. He was made Officier de la Legion d’Honneur in 1989 and was awarded IOC Order of Merit in the year 1990.
Andre Vacheresse
Andre Vacheresse was born on October 12, 1937 in Roanne. He was a professional basketball player and the head coach of the French Basketball Club Chorale Roanne Basket. He played for the Chorale Roanne Basket from the year 1943 up to 1962, he eventually became the team manager in the year 1977 to 1978 and the team’s coach from the year 1978 up to 1980. He was considered to be one of the best French coaches because of his solid pillar of the France team with 70 caps and three titles as UFOLEP Champion of France.
Some of his achievements are the following: silver medal in Cairo 1949 European Championship, bronze medal in Paris 1951 and another bronze medal in Moscow 1952 European Chmapionships.
Claude Bergeaud
Claude Bergeaud was born on April 30, 1960 in Artigat. He is a former coach of a French basketball team. On June 13, 2008 he became the general manager of one of the Clubs in France, the Pau-Orhtez, however, two years after he decided to leave the posision as the general manager.
He led the French national basketball team to their bronze medal in the 2005 EuroBasket. He was also the coach of the national team in the 2006 World Championship and 2007 EuroBasket where the team ranked 5th and 8th respectively.