TEHRAN (2015 FIBA Asia Championship) - Dirk Bauermann steered Germany into the Olympics seven years ago and now he'll attempt to do the same with Iran.

The most successful team in Asia the past several years has put the 57-year-old in charge of their national team.

The defending champions have made the appointment just two and a half months away from the start of the FIBA Asia Championship (23 September-3 October) in Changsha, China.

Iran, who qualified for the FIBA Asia Championship by winning last year's FIBA Asia Cup, are hoping Bauermann can guide the national side to its fourth title in the competition since 2007, a result that qualified the team for the 2008 Olympics in China.

The Iranians were coached by Rajko Toroman at the time but did not play Bauermann's Germany in Beijing.

The side that wins the FIBA Asia Championship in Changsha will clinch a spot in the Rio de Janeiro Games while the teams that finish second and third will be invited to the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT).

"I will do my best to win the title in FIBA Asia Championship and qualify again for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio," Bauermann said in Tehran, where he put pen to paper on a three-month contract with the Iran Basketball Federation.

If Iran qualify for Rio, Bauermann will continue in the job.

"I saw Iran play at the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain and I know they are fighters," he said.

"Teamwork has a special meaning here just like in Germany.

I believe qualification for the Olympic games in Rio is achievable. - Bauermann

"They have good teamwork.

"We need to work as a group to qualify for the Olympic Games and I have plans to achieve such a great goal and to do so, I need 100 percent support.

"It's a huge risk to take over two months prior to the games [FIBA Asia Championship], but the great potential of the Iranian players led me to accept this task."

Bauermann just a couple of years ago led Poland at EuroBasket 2013 but the team did not advance from a very difficult opening round group that also included hosts Slovenia, Spain, Croatia, Georgia and the Czech Republic.

This past season he coached Krasny Oktyabr in Volgograd, Russia. The team finished 12th in the VTB United League.

In addition to coaching Germany to one of three spots to the Beijing Games at the 2008 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, he had guided Germany to a runners-up finish at EuroBasket 2005 in Belgrade.

Dirk Nowitzki was on both of those teams.

Memi Becirovic coached Iran to the title at the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship and also held the reins at last year's World Cup.

The team was competitive and beat Egypt but lost to four other powerhouses in the international game - Serbia, Spain, France and Brazil.

Luka Pavicevic, the former Montenegro coach, had been linked with the Iran coaching position but was not the preferred choice of Mahmoud Mashhoun, who was re-elected as President of Iran's Basketball Federation in late May.

Iran were recently drawn in Group A with Japan, Malaysia and India.

FIBA