Ettore Messina became Olimpia's head coach during the month of June, 2019, coming from a five-year stay with the NBA's San Antonio Spurs, where he was an assistant coach. He has been named to the FIBA Hall of Fame for the class of 2021.
IN MILAN - He led his team to the Supercup championship with a perfect 8-0 record and to the 2021 Italian Cup with a record setting average winning margin. He won the Italian Cup again in 2022. He has led the team to the Italian league championship in 2022, 2023 and again in 2024. He coached Olimpia to the EuroLeague Final Four in 2021. During the 2020/21 season, he coached the game number 500 for his Italian league career and during the 2021/22 season he won his 400th Italian league game and coached his 400th EuroLeague game. During the 2022/23 season, he coached his 500th game in the top european competition and won his 100th Italian league game with Olimpia. He is now the all-time winningest coach in the Italian league playoffs and first for games coached too. On October, 17, 2023, after defeating Olympiacos he became the second coach ever to win at least 300 EuroLeague games. On February, 17, 2024, he became the all-time winningest coach in the Italian Cup. On April 13, he won his 500th Italian league game.
HIS CAREER - Born on September 30, 1959, in Catania, but immediately transferred to Mestre, Ettore Messina began coaching at 17 in Venezia and then in Mestre. In 1982, he became assistant coach of Massimo Mangano in Udine, in 1983 he assumed the same role at Virtus Bologna, under Alberto Bucci, Sandro Gamba and Bob Hill. In the summer of 1989, at the age of 30, he became the head coach of Virtus, a position he held until 199,3 winning the Italy Cup and Cup Winners' Cups in 1990, and the Italian league title in 1993. In 1993, he became Head Coach of the Italian National Team: he immediately won the Mediterranean Games and a year later the silver medal at the Goodwill Games. In 1997, he ledItaly to European medal silver in Barcelona. He eventually returned to Virtus Bologna, and in 1998 he won the Italian league and his first EuroLeague title; in 2001 in a historical season, Messina led Virtus to the Grand Slam (Italian Cup, Italian League and EuroLeague). In his second experience in Bologna, he won the Italy Cup again in 1999 and 2002 and reached the EuroLeague final again in 1999 and 2002. In 2002, he moved to Benetton Treviso where he won another Italian league championship, in 2003, the Italian Cup in 2003, 2004 and 2005, the Supercup in 2002 and led the team to the EuroLeague final in 2003. In 2005, he moved to CSKA Moscow for four years, in each of them his team reached at least the EuroLeague final winning it in 2006 and 2008. In 2009, he moved to Real Madrid and stayed there until 2011. In 2011/12 for a year he was part of the Los Angeles Lakers coaching staff (head coach Mike Brown). In 2012, he returned to CSKA Moscow, qualifying two more times for the EuroLeague Final Four and winning the VTB League both season. In 2014, he returned to the U.S. to take on the role of assistant coach of the San Antonio Spurs. In 2016 he coached again the Italian national team, that he coached to the quarter-finals of the 2017 European Championships.
NOTES - Ettore Messina was twice named coached of the year in EuroLeague (2006 and 2008), five times coach of the year in Italy, in all he won the EuroLeague four times, the Italian championship five times, six times the Russian title, he won the VTB League three times, won the Italian Cup nine times, twice the Russian Cup, twice the Italian Supercup, 12 times he led his team to the EuroLeague Final Four, including the 2021 with Milano.

Ettore Messina became Olimpia's head coach during the month of June, 2019, coming from a five-year stay with the NBA's San Antonio Spurs, where he was an assistant coach. He has been named to the FIBA Hall of Fame for the class of 2021.
IN MILAN - He led his team to the Supercup championship with a perfect 8-0 record and to the 2021 Italian Cup with a record setting average winning margin. He won the Italian Cup again in 2022. He has led the team to the Italian league championship in 2022, 2023 and again in 2024. He coached Olimpia to the EuroLeague Final Four in 2021. During the 2020/21 season, he coached the game number 500 for his Italian league career and during the 2021/22 season he won his 400th Italian league game and coached his 400th EuroLeague game. During the 2022/23 season, he coached his 500th game in the top european competition and won his 100th Italian league game with Olimpia. He is now the all-time winningest coach in the Italian league playoffs and first for games coached too. On October, 17, 2023, after defeating Olympiacos he became the second coach ever to win at least 300 EuroLeague games. On February, 17, 2024, he became the all-time winningest coach in the Italian Cup. On April 13, he won his 500th Italian league game.
HIS CAREER - Born on September 30, 1959, in Catania, but immediately transferred to Mestre, Ettore Messina began coaching at 17 in Venezia and then in Mestre. In 1982, he became assistant coach of Massimo Mangano in Udine, in 1983 he assumed the same role at Virtus Bologna, under Alberto Bucci, Sandro Gamba and Bob Hill. In the summer of 1989, at the age of 30, he became the head coach of Virtus, a position he held until 199,3 winning the Italy Cup and Cup Winners' Cups in 1990, and the Italian league title in 1993. In 1993, he became Head Coach of the Italian National Team: he immediately won the Mediterranean Games and a year later the silver medal at the Goodwill Games. In 1997, he ledItaly to European medal silver in Barcelona. He eventually returned to Virtus Bologna, and in 1998 he won the Italian league and his first EuroLeague title; in 2001 in a historical season, Messina led Virtus to the Grand Slam (Italian Cup, Italian League and EuroLeague). In his second experience in Bologna, he won the Italy Cup again in 1999 and 2002 and reached the EuroLeague final again in 1999 and 2002. In 2002, he moved to Benetton Treviso where he won another Italian league championship, in 2003, the Italian Cup in 2003, 2004 and 2005, the Supercup in 2002 and led the team to the EuroLeague final in 2003. In 2005, he moved to CSKA Moscow for four years, in each of them his team reached at least the EuroLeague final winning it in 2006 and 2008. In 2009, he moved to Real Madrid and stayed there until 2011. In 2011/12 for a year he was part of the Los Angeles Lakers coaching staff (head coach Mike Brown). In 2012, he returned to CSKA Moscow, qualifying two more times for the EuroLeague Final Four and winning the VTB League both season. In 2014, he returned to the U.S. to take on the role of assistant coach of the San Antonio Spurs. In 2016 he coached again the Italian national team, that he coached to the quarter-finals of the 2017 European Championships.
NOTES - Ettore Messina was twice named coached of the year in EuroLeague (2006 and 2008), five times coach of the year in Italy, in all he won the EuroLeague four times, the Italian championship five times, six times the Russian title, he won the VTB League three times, won the Italian Cup nine times, twice the Russian Cup, twice the Italian Supercup, 12 times he led his team to the EuroLeague Final Four, including the 2021 with Milano.