VIENNA (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Qualifiers) - Matthias Zollner has been named as the new Austrian national team head coach for the start of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Qualifiers.

The 36-year-old German takes over the Austrian team with a contract until the end of the first phase of the European Qualifiers in July 2018. 

"We signed a proven expert in Zollner who also knows Austrian basketball very well," Austrian Basketball Federation (OBV) president Hubert Schreiner said of Zollner, who worked in the FIBA Europe Coaching Department from 2005-2012. 

Zollner, who served as an assistant coach of the German national team under Svetislav Pesic in 2012, said he will reach out to the Austrian players very soon and develop a coaching staff. 

"The Austrian national team has developed extremely well and it is a great honor for me to take part in the continuation of this development," Zollner said. 

Zollner replaces Lithuanian Kestutis Kemzura, who guided Austria through the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Pre-Qualifiers in his second qualification campaign with the team following the FIBA EuroBasket 2017 Qualifiers. But Kemzura could not get clearance to coach Austria from Turkish club Darussafaka, where he serves as assistant coach.

"The Austrian national team has developed extremely well and it is a great honor for me to take part in the continuation of this development."Matthias ZollnerMatthias Zollner

Austria went through the FIBA Basketball World Cup European Pre-Qualifiers with a 3-1 record in Group B, beating Albania twice and winning in Netherlands after having lost at home against Netherlands. 

Austria have never played at the FIBA Basketball World Cup and their path to China 2019 will go through Group G of the European Qualifiers with Georgia, Germany and Serbia. The top three teams will move to the second phase of the continental qualifiers.  

Austria's opening qualifier will come on November 24 against Serbia in Belgrade. Three days later, Austria will host Zollner's native Germany in Schwechat. 

Zollner knows the Austrians from coaching Gussing Knights from 2013 to 2016, guiding the team to the Austrian league crown in 2014 and the league and cup double in 2015. Under Zollner, Gussing also reached the Top 16 of EuroChallenge and the Second Round of the FIBA Europe Cup.

"We learned a lot from Kemzura. Zollner is another good decision by the OBV," said Austrian national team point guard Thomas Klepeisz, who played for Zollner at Gussing.

And Austrian big man Rasid Mahalbasic added: "I am looking forward to working with Matthias Zollner."

FIBA