LJUBLJANA (FIBA EuroBasket 2017 Qualifiers) - Former Georgia head coach and current Utah Jazz assistant Igor Kokoskov has been unveiled as the man in charge of the Slovenian national team for the duration of the FIBA EuroBasket 2017 Qualifiers.

Kokoskov's agreement with the Slovenian Basketball Federation (KZS) will be automatically renewed in case he guides the national team to the showcase tournament which is set to take place in September 2017 in Finland, Israel, Romania and Turkey, the KZS has specified.

The 44-year-old Serbian-born tactician is succeeding in the coveted position the Slovenian legend Jure Zdovc, whose contract with the KZS expired after EuroBasket 2015.

KZS president Matej Erjavec explained that one of the conditions that AEK Athens posed to Zdovc when he assumed the reins of the Greek team last month was that he would work exclusively for the club, hence prolonging his tenure as Slovenia head coach was not feasible.

Slovenia immediately turned to Kokoskov as a primary candidate to fill the vacancy, conscious of his work with Georgia and his resumé in the USA.

The trailblazing Kokoskov had become the first European coach to work for an NBA team when he joined the staff of the Los Angeles Clippers in 2000.

Three years later he switched to the great Detroit Pistons team which won the 2004 NBA Championship and in 2008 he commenced a five-year spell at the Phoenix Suns, where he coincided with Slovenian superstar Goran Dragic.

Kokoskov took the reins of the Georgian national team while he was still working in Detroit, at the suggestion of Pistons legend Joe Dumars.

He leaned on a new generation of Georgian players headlined by Zaza Pachulia and steered Georgia to their first ever participation at a FIBA EuroBasket tournament in 2011 in Lithuania, where they finished in 11th place.

Georgia repeated the feat in 2013 by earning their participation in the big tournament in Slovenia and then made it three-of-three at FIBA EuroBasket 2015, where they advanced to the Round Of 16 but fell 85-81 to eventual silver medallists Lithuania in a memorable, epic clash.

"My appointment as the coach of Slovenia, a world-class basketball institution, is a great honour for me," Kokoskov said in an official statement released by the KZS.

"I am honoured to join the list of great names who served as Slovenia coaches before me and I am very motivated to perform this role.

"The first goal is certainly to qualify to EuroBasket 2017 and thereafter to rejuvenate the national team, because Slovenia has a lot of young talent.

"Any good team is based primarily on the players and the Slovenian national team will be no exception.

"My work consists mainly on following the players and deciding on who are the best for the team, while chemistry is created by the players themselves.

"At the moment, the important thing is that the players remain healthy and have the best possible club season.

"Then I'll pick the best ones and the ones who will be the most motivated to represent their country, which it is a great privilege."

The FIBA EuroBasket 2015 Qualifiers Draw takes place in Munich on Friday.

FIBA