Denis Toroman is back as a full time coach at the basketball federation. He arrived in Luxembourg in 2019 as he became a member of the coaching staff of the FLBB. After taking over the men’s team in Dudelange to start the 2021/22 season, Toroman will now return to our coaching staff.
What will be your tasks at the FLBB?
I will be responsible for the boys section of the Luxembourg youth national teams, Basketball Formation Centre (CFBB) and the “Sportlycée“. Part of my job will include planning, organizing and executing long, middle and short term players development, preparing our youth National teams for European championships and international tournaments.
Also, I will be involved in establishing talent identification guidelines for the FLBB that we will use as a benchmark for the future. Last but not least, I will stay part of the Senior Men National team, something that is very important to me.
You rejoin the federation after working in a club, what have you learned about yourself during the time in Dudelange?
During my short time with T71, I definitely learned some valuable things that made me a better coach and hopefully a better person. So, I look at my time in Dudelange very positively and as a great learning experience about Luxembourg club’s basketball and culture.
Why did you want to return to the FLBB?
When you have the opportunity to work and come back to the best and most professional basketball organization in the country, it was a no brainer to me. It is an organization that is still developing and that wants to grow, and more importantly the people who are there are open minded, and extremely knowledgeable. I am very grateful and thankful for the trust FLBB committee and president gave me.
What are you most looking forward to in your ‚new‘ job?
It is a combination of being able to contribute and participate in the process of developing our young players but also young people. There is a great pool of talent that is currently building up in Luxembourg. More and more young players are aiming to play basketball at a professional level, and they are very interested in learning and going through this tough and challenging process. At the same time more and more players are realizing the impact and the privilege they have when they play and represent their country at the international level and how beneficial it is for their own development.
So I also feel privileged to be a part of that journey and most importantly, to contribute in making them healthy, responsible and ambitious young human beings. Hopefully some of them will become professional basketball players and future senior men national team players.
What I am also looking forward is to have the chance to work with a team of motivated and very professional individuals which is very important to me. It goes from our Head of Basketball, Technical director, federation coaches to the people working in FLBB office.
What is your reaction to Ben Kovac signing for Levice, your former club?
Levice is the best and most professional club in Slovakia. It is a very ambitious club that won two titles during the last season, Slovakian Championship and the Alpe Adria cup, a league where teams from 6 different countries were participating.
This season they will play qualification for the FIBA Champions league, so obviously they are even more ambitious then last season. So Ben will be a part of a club that wants to be recognized not only in their region but also in the European basketball map in the future. It is a great opportunity for Ben to experience higher professional level of basketball, a level where teams are having 12 professionals and more then 4/5 imports in the roster, so he will grow not only during games but also during every practice, where players are fighting hard to earn playing time. I am very happy for Ben and I wish him a healthy and successful season.
