Dominicans take aim at 'next level' with new coach Atkinson

SANTO DOMINGO (FIBA Basketball World Cup/2015 FIBA Americas Championship) - The Dominican Republic reached new heights the past couple of years when they qualified for the FIBA Basketball World Cup and then reached the Round of 16 at the competition.

Now the aim is for new boss Kenny Atkinson, an assistant coach of the Atlanta Hawks, to take the team to the "next level".

Atkinson will coach the team at the FIBA Americas Championship in Monterrey, Mexico, and go after a spot in the Final that would clinch a berth in the Rio de Janeiro Games.

The Dominicans came up just short of the London Games when they lost a do-or-die game to Nigeria at the 2012 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

Atkinson has taken over from Orlando Antigua, who stepped down from the position two months ago to concentrate on his duties as coach of the South Florida Bulls in American college basketball.

I am very enthusiastic and we are counting on him to take us to the next level - Najri

"He was the man that we wanted from the beginning because of his experience and vision of the game," national team general manager Eduardo Najri said.

"He is a person that develops players and manages their minutes well, something that in a tournament is so demanding and all important.

The Dominican Republic were a big hit at Spain 2014.

The Dominicans will have had good insight to the abilities of Atkinson because the country's most celebrated player, Al Horford, plays for the Hawks.

Atkinson knows all about international basketball.

After a standout career at Richmond University, where he was a college teammate of Germany coach Chris Fleming, he played professional hoops in both the CBA and USBL in America, and in Europe.

Atkinson began his coaching career as an assistant at Paris Basket Racing in 2004 and later worked on the bench of the New York Knicks before joining Atlanta in 2012.

He said in a statement issued by the Dominican Basketball Federation: "I accept the challenge of bringing to the Dominican Republic to the next level.

"I saw the respect the players have earned in recent international championships and I am honored to be part of that.

I appreciate the confidence shown in me and can honestly tell you that I couldn't be more excited - Atkinson

The Dominicans have continued their tradition of hiring coaches from the United States.

Eric Musselman and John Calipari led the team before Antigua, who assisted Calipari at the University of Kentucky and with the Dominican national team.

"We are convinced that with him, we are going to achieve the dream of Dominican Republic basketball, which is to go to an Olympic Games," said Dominican Republic Basketball Federation president Rafael Uribe said.

"To have someone of his caliber is a great privilege."

FIBA