ARG – Hernandez not to continue as coach of Argentina

BUENOS ARIES (FIBA Americas Championship) - Argentina will have a new coach when they host the FIBA Americas Championship next year in Mar del Plata following the news that Sergio Hernandez will no longer hold the reins.

At the helm since Ruben Magnano's departure after Argentina’s gold-medal winning run at the 2004 Olympics, the hugely popular Hernandez had wanted to remain in charge through the 2012 Olympics in London but the basketball confederation wanted a longer-term commitment.

Hernandez, who also leads Penarol in Argentina's Liga Nacional and the FIBA Americas League, guided Argentina to a fifth-place finish at the FIBA World Championship this summer.

"I only have kind words for the confederation (CABB), for having trusted me for so many years, and to each player that came to the national team," Hernandez said.

"I had the most satisfying and happiest times of my career coaching Argentina.

"I feel pride and am grateful to the CABB and to the players and the technical team I had, because they helped me a lot to achieve the aims that we did.

"I am calm and will continue to support the national team as I´ve always done, now from the outside as another fan.

"They were great times, to have experienced the (Beijing) Olympics Games, two World Championship (2006 and 2010) - all the tournaments were wonderful.

"From the pre-Olympic tournaments to the South American tournaments, each experience was taken with the same enthusiasm and seriousness."

Hernandez is the longest serving coach in the history of Argentina’s national team.

His side came within an Andres Nocioni missed three-pointer at the buzzer of beating Spain and reaching the Final of the 2006 FIBA World Championship. They followed up that narrow setback with a bronze-medal game defeat to the United States.

With just two spots at the Beijing Games up for grabs at the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship in Las Vegas, Argentina came in second and they overcame the loss of Manu Ginobili early in the Semi-Final of the 2008 Olympics to capture a bronze medal.

Argentina said in a statement: "The Argentina basketball confederation is looking for a project of four to six years, up to the World Championship in Spain in 2014 or the Olympic Games of 2016. In this case, the intentions of the confederation did not coincide with that of Sergio Hernandez, who wanted to continue until the Olympic Games of 2012."

Julio Lamas is thought to be a leading candidate for the job.

FIBA