MANAGUA (Nicaragua) – A question during a press conference opened the door to David Rosario’s announcement. The head coach was asked about Nicaragua’s next roster call-up in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Americas Qualifiers, he responded: “That will be up to the coach who comes next.” With that statement, the Puerto Rican native confirmed the end of his tenure as Nicaragua’s head coach, a position he assumed in 2021. Rosario will coach his final game on Sunday in Managua, when Nicaragua closes out the second window of the Qualifiers against the Dominican Republic. The Central American side has dropped their first three games and sits at the bottom of Group A. It is not an ideal moment, but Rosario prefers to focus on the bigger picture. “I accepted a huge responsibility because we were very low in the rankings and there was a lot of work to be done. Many people asked me how I was going to stay here so long, but we faced the challenge head-on, and today we’re competing for a World Cup spot,” he said following Thursday’s loss to Mexico.
The assessment
Rosario led the program for more than five years and expressed gratitude for the experience.
I thank the federation and the people of Nicaragua for opening their doors and embracing me. I came for three months but stayed here for five years and five months. I decided to stay all this time working with you. I’m very loyal to my causes. I gave myself body and soul throughout this entire period and, humbly, there have been results— not only with Real Estelí, but also with the national team,” he said.
During his tenure, Nicaragua climbed to No. 74 in the FIBA World Ranking after previously not being ranked inside the top 100. In 2023, the team won the Central American Pre-Qualifiers to the AmeriCup, and in 2025 they competed in an AmeriCup for the first time as hosts. Last year, Nicaragua also captured gold at the Central American Games.
"Before, we were the bottom team in Central America. Now we’re third, behind Mexico and Panama. That puts Nicaragua at a high international level,” he added.
At the club level, Rosario guided Real Estelí to five titles in Liga Superior de Baloncesto for Nicaragua and finished as runner-up in the 2021 Basketball Champions League Americas.
The future
Rosario also praised his players and shared his outlook on the future of Nicaraguan basketball. “I’m happy with all these guys. People criticize them, but many of them transitioned from playing center to playing on the perimeter to be more competitive internationally. Nicaragua has basketball for the next 30 years. That has been my greatest contribution, beyond championships and medals. There’s a generation with a lot of talent that will give us the opportunity to compete with other powerhouses,” he said.
FIBA