This is only the second time in the new EuroLeague format's history with a single head coaching change in the first half of the regular season. However, the presence of top head coaches with expiring contracts makes the upcoming coaching market highly intriguing.
Dejan Radonjic probably expected a very uncomfortable Friday night phone call.
Panathinaikos had just suffered their worst defeat against Olympiacos in OAKA by 24 points and had been booed by their fans starting in the fourth quarter.
In a situation where it seemed like firing the head coach would be the easiest decision, Panathinaikos owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos showed patience and trust in Dejan Radonjic by giving him an "unlimited budget" for roster moves and full support in making PAO great again.
The EuroLeague front offices have been historically patient this season, with only one coaching replacement so far in the first half of the regular season.
Crvena Zvezda made an early move by replacing Vladimir Jovanovic with Dusko Ivanovic. It turned out to be the right decision, as Ivanovic tied for the best coaching takeover in the EuroLeague history.
The only time only one head coach was fired before January was in the 2020-21 season when Crvena Zvezda parted ways with Sasa Obradovic. That season's relative patience may also be due to the many postponed games in the first post-covid season.
In comparison, six coaches were fired before January in the 2018-19 season, five in 2019-20, and three in the 2021-22 season.
The current season's rare patience can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, this is one of the most competitive seasons in history. For the first time since the new format was introduced in 2016, the 9th-seeded team is only three wins away from the top seed.
Also, it is only the third time when the four wins separate the 8th and last-seeded teams after Round 16.
Since a few consecutive wins can change the momentum, most clubs are patient before making tough decisions.
It is also a difficult decision from a financial standpoint, as only three head coaches are on expiring contracts, and breaking those contracts would be costly for the clubs.
These three coaches are also top-caliber specialists: Ergin Ataman (Anadolu Efes), Sarunas Jasikevicius (Barcelona), and Andrea Trinchieri (Bayern).
Ataman, 56, currently is the longest-tenured EuroLeague coach. He took over Efes in 2017 and has won two EuroLeague titles, three Turkish league trophies, and two Turkish cups. It's hard to imagine him somewhere else than Efes.
Jasikevicius, 46, brought Barcelona back to the elite again.
For the first time since 2014, Barcelona made it to the Final Four again with two consecutive appearances in 2021 and 2022.
For the first time since 2014, Saras managed to guide Barcelona to the ACB league title (2021) and won Copa del Rey in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2011.
Trinchieri, 54, wrote one of the best EuroLeague's Cinderella stories in recent years.
He has guided Bayern to consecutive playoff appearances, despite having one of the lowest budgets in the league.
Trinchieri has already been on the wealthiest EuroLeague clubs' target in previous years. He recently joined forces with Misko Raznatovic, which usually means something big might be on the corner.
The head coaching market could be interesting in the summer of 2023, with Pablo Laso and Ioannis Sfairopoulos also available. Keep in mind that Xavi Pascual may also enter the market at any time (his current contract runs until 2024).
Those names make it even more challenging to retain the head coach position in the EuroLeague. If one piece is moved, it could have a domino effect.
While 15 of 18 head coaches are under contract beyond the 2022-23 season, you can not take those multi-year agreements for granted in Europe.
The final months of the season may influence crucial developments in the head coaching department.
| Coach | Team | Contract | Works since |
| Ergin Ataman | Anadolu Efes | Until 2023 | 2017 |
| Sarunas Jasikevicius | Barcelona | Until 2023 | 2020 |
| Andrea Trinchieri | Bayern | Until 2023 | 2020 |
| Zeljko Obradovic | Partizan | Until 2024 | 2021 |
| Ettore Messina | EA7 Emporio Armani | Until 2024 | 2019 |
| Sergio Scariolo | Virtus | Until 2024 | 2021 |
| Chus Mateo | Real | Until 2024 | 2022 |
| Oded Kattash | Maccabi | Until 2024 | 2022 |
| Joan Penarroya | Baskonia | Until 2024 | 2022 |
| Dejan Radonjic | Panathinaikos | Until 2024 | 2022 |
| Dusko Ivanovic | Crvena Zvezda | Until 2024 | 2022 |
| Giorgos Bartzokas | Olympiacos | Until 2025 | 2020 |
| Dimitris Itoudis | Fenerbahce | Until 2025 | 2022 |
| Sasa Obradovic | Monaco | Until 2025 | 2021 |
| Israel Gonzalez | ALBA | Until 2025 | 2021 |
| Alex Mumbru | Valencia | Until 2025 | 2022 |
| Kazys Maksvytis | Zalgiris | Until 2025 | 2022 |
| TJ Parker | ASVEL | Until 2026 | 2020 |
