Aleš Pipan

Aleš Pipan
Zlatorog Laško
Position	Head coach
Personal information
Born	Ljubljana, Slovenia
Nationality	Slovenian
Career history
1993–1996	Maribor
1997–2000	Zlatorog Laško
2000–2002	Krka
2002–2003	Zagorje
2003–2005	Zlatorog Laško
2005–2007	Slovan
2007–2008	Anwil
2008–2011	Zlatorog Laško
2011-2012	Zadar
2012–2013	MZT Skopje
2013–2015	Union Olimpija
2015	MZT Skopje
2015–present	Zlatorog Laško
Career highlights and awards
	Slovenian cup champion (2004); Poland cup champion (2007); Polish Supercup champion (2007); 2× Macedonian League champion (2013, 2015); Macedonian Cup winner (2013);

Aleš Pipan (born 1959) is a Slovenian basketball coach of Zlatorog Laško and former basketball player. He was a coach of Zadar, Anwil Włocławek (Poland), Maribor, Zagorje, Krka, Slovan and MZT Skopje,^[1] in addition to a prior stint at Laško.^[2]

Pipan coached Slovenia at the Eurobasket 2005, 2006 FIBA World Championship and Eurobasket 2007 until resignation in 2008, when Slovenia didn't make through additional qualifications for 2008 Summer Olympics. Before that, he was present in Slovenian national team as coach assistant since 1998.

Pipan came to Zlatorog Lasko in 1996 and establish them as one of Slovenian best basketball clubs, especially known as club which works very well with young players. He led the club into Saporta Cup in 1997 and 1998. 1999 took them to the quarter finals where they had to yield to the famous Aris, but earned them right to play the Euroleague next year.In those two seasons in Saporta Cup he afirmated two national team players on international scene, Sani Bečirovič and Goran Jurak. Next season (1999–2000) was first year that two Slovenian clubs played Euroleague, but in domestic competition Pipan reached two finals but failed to collect any trophy, as some key players as Boštjan Nachbar and Mileta Lisica were struggling with injuries.

In 2000, he took over Krka,and he led them in Suproleague, Euroleague in 2001/02, domestic competitions and first edition of Adriatic League until he was replaced with Neven Spahija in December 2001.He was first Slovenian coach to beat teams like Panathinaikos B.C. and Maccabi Tel Aviv B.C..

After brief episode in small club Zagorje he returned to Pivovarna Laško in 2003–04 season, where he won Slovenian cup and lost in final of domestic league to Olimpija. After another year with Pivovarna Laško he took over Slovan from Ljubljana in season 2005–06, where he lost another final of domestic league to Olimpija in best of five series in 2006, but impress with affirmation of some young players in the Adriatic League (especially Goran Dragić ) and better result than his everlasting oppnonent Olimpija in that competition. One season later he resigned in the middle of season.

Pipan took Anwil in January 2007. After two months of working with the team he won with Anwil Włocławek Polish Cup (2007) beating the Euroleague team Prokom Trefl Sopot in the final. He finished 2006–07 season at the fourth place, losing 3-4 in the semi-final against Prokom Trefl Sopot. In revenge he beat Prokom Trefl Sopot again in the Super-Cup game that opened 2007–08 season in Poland.

In the 2009, he returned to his former club, now known under new name Zlatorog (formerly Pivovarna laško). After two years he took over KK Zadar in Croatian league and qualify with them for Adriatic basketball league. In October 2012 he took over MZT Skopje and won the Macedonian championship.

Pipan has become well known for promoting, developing and coaching some young players like Goran Jurak, Sani Bečirovič, Boštjan Nachbar, Nebojša Joksimović, Aleksander Ćapin, Jaka Lakovič, Goran Dragić, Hasan Rizvić, Emir Preldžič, Mirza Begić, Gašper Vidmar, Jaka Klobučar, Damjan Stojanovski and many more.