Herman Mandole will be the new coach of Openjobmetis Varese, but he will have to pass the national coaches course.
The die has been cast: Herman Mandole will be the new coach of Pallacanestro Varese. The Argentine coach, who will turn 40 on June 17, confirmed his choice to lead OJM. Mandole, former coach of the Argentina Under-17 national team and current deputy of Pablo Prigioni, will replace Tom Bialaszewski at the helm of the red and whites. After two American coaches, it is now the turn of an Argentinian, while maintaining his influence overseas. The news had been in the air for some time, with Luis Scola having identified him as his internal successor after two seasons as assistant coach and head of player development, as well as supervisor of the Varese Basketball youth project. Mandole’s resumption of individual training with the Italians under contract was a clear sign of the continuity of his relationship with the club.
The course and the official status
Mandole accepted president Bulgheroni’s proposal, but his formal appointment as head coach of Openjobmetis will depend on passing the national coaches course that he will take in Bormio in the first half of July. The official nature of the agreement, including the duration – a non-negotiable request during the negotiations and expected beyond the 2024/25 season – will be confirmed only after obtaining the federal license necessary to coach in Serie A. Varese cannot in fact anticipate the verdict of the FIP exam by appointing a coach who does not yet meet the requirements set by the regulation. However, Mandole – exam permitting – will already operate as head coach, discussing transfer strategies with Luis Scola and the Sogolow-Horowitz duo. The position of Marco Legovich should also be defined by the end of the week, who should remain as first assistant with a contract extension until 2026.
