Neven Spahija


Neven Spahija is a Croatian professional basketball coach who is currently an assistant coach for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association. He previously spent 3 years in the league as an assistant coach, with his most recent tenure there being with the Atlanta Hawks.

Coaching career

Club career

Spahija started his basketball coaching career with Gradine Pula from Croatia and Olimpija Ljubljana from Slovenia, working as an assistant coach. He started his head coaching career with Cibona from Croatia, where he won his first league championship in 2001. He then worked with Krka Novo Mesto from Slovenia, Avtodor Saratov from Russia, Lietuvos rytas from Lithuania, Maccabi Tel Aviv from Israel, Baskonia and Valencia from Spain.
From 2010 to 2012, he was the head coach of the Turkish club Fenerbahçe Ülker. In June 2013, he was named the head coach of Cibona, for the next four years. In November 2013, he parted ways with Cibona.
On 4 August 2014, Spahija was hired by the Atlanta Hawks, to be their assistant coach.
On 26 June 2017, Spahija returned to Maccabi Tel Aviv for a second stint, signing a 2+1-year contract. In the 2017–18 season, Spahija led Maccabi to win the 2018 Israeli League Championship. On 18 November 2018, he parted ways with Maccabi after four consecutive losses and a 1–6 start to the 2018–19 EuroLeague season.
In August 2019, Spahija was hired by the Memphis Grizzlies, to be their assistant coach.

National team career

Spahija led the senior Croatia national team between 2001 and 2005, coaching them at the 2003 and 2005 European Championships.

Coaching record

EuroLeague