By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Paris announced a change in leadership on Monday, parting ways with head coach Francesco Tabellini effective immediately, as previously reported by L’Equipe. The 42-year-old Italian tactician leaves the capital club less than a year after being appointed to succeed Tiago Splitter during the offseason.
Per the press release: “As part of its sporting project management, Paris Basketball has ended its collaboration with its head coach, Francesco Tabellini.
A two-time Czech Republic champion and Basketball Champions League quarter-finalist with Basketball Nymburk, the Italian coach joined Paris Basketball this summer. Over the course of nearly nine months, he demonstrated great dedication to his work. This work led to his selection as coach of Team World for the LNB All-Star Game.
The club has nevertheless decided to part ways with Francesco Tabellini in order to inject new momentum into the team ahead of the approaching end of the season.
The whole club wishes him every success for the rest of his career.”
Dans le cadre de la gestion de son projet sportif, le Paris Basketball met fin à sa collaboration avec son entraîneur principal, Francesco Tabellini.
L’ensemble du club lui souhaite pleine réussite pour la suite de sa carrière. pic.twitter.com/MMPjbZZlaj
— Paris Basketball (@ParisBasketball) March 23, 2026
Tabellini’s tenure was marked by the fast-paced coaching philosophy that had previously brought him immense success in Czechia. However, the demanding transition to a EuroLeague calendar proved difficult. Under the Modena native’s guidance, Paris secured 12 wins in 33 EuroLeague contests, a run that saw the club formally eliminated from postseason contention following a recent four-game skid across both European and domestic play.
While the European campaign fell short of expectations, Paris remained a contender within France’s Betclic Élite, currently sitting third in the standings with a 16–7 record. Despite this league positioning, early exits in the Round of 16 of the Coupe de France and the Quarterfinals of the Leaders Cup added pressure to the coaching staff, ultimately leading to the decision to move in a different direction.
Before arriving in France, Tabellini established himself as one of the rising stars in European coaching during his two-year stint with ERA Nymburk between 2023 and 2025, where he dominated the domestic circuit and coached in the Basketball Champions League. His career trajectory also included a head coaching role at USK Prague and an influential eight-season developmental period with Treviso in Italy.
Julius Thomas Head Coach intérimaire 🫡
Arrivé à Paris à l’été 2023, Julius devient aujourd’hui le plus jeune coach de l’histoire de l’EuroLeague et la Betclic Élite, démontrant une nouvelle fois la capacité du Paris Basketball à donner sa confiance à de jeunes talents. pic.twitter.com/pR6bSGV2WL
— Paris Basketball (@ParisBasketball) March 23, 2026
Lead assistant Julius Thomas has been named an interim replacement as Paris looks to solidify their seeding for the domestic league’s Playoffs and regain momentum for the final stretch of the 2025-26 season.
Per the press release: “As part of its sporting project management, Paris Basketball has ended its collaboration with its head coach, Francesco Tabellini.
To succeed him, Julius Thomas has been appointed interim head coach until the end of the 2025–2026 season. He previously held the position of associate head coach.
While the team currently has a record of 12 wins and 21 losses in the EuroLeague, with five contests remaining, and 16 wins and 7 losses in the Betclic ELITE league, the players will travel to Dijon this Friday, before returning to the adidas Arena on April 2nd to host Olimpia Milano.
“Francesco worked tirelessly to support the progress of Paris Basketball, a young, ambitious club with an innovative style of play on the European stage,” emphasized President David Kahn. “He has always demonstrated professionalism and remarkable intelligence in his public statements.”
“Under his leadership, the club notably achieved prestigious victories against Real Madrid at home, as well as away against Partizan Belgrade, FC Barcelona, and Panathinaikos. He has demonstrated his ability to compete at the highest European level. The entire club wishes him every success for the rest of his career.”
Interim – Julius Thomas, a trusted man for Iisalo and Splitter
At 28, Julius Thomas becomes the youngest head coach in EuroLeague history, demonstrating once again Paris Basketball’s ability to place its trust in young talent.
Arriving in the capital in the summer of 2023–2024 as part of Tuomas Iisalo’s staff, Julius Thomas has actively contributed to shaping the team’s playing identity and is fully committed to the continuity of the Parisian project.
He then continued his work as an assistant coach under Tiago Splitter. Both now hold head coaching positions in the NBA.
David Kahn: “On behalf of our principal owner Eric Schwartz, we are excited to work closely with Julius to finish the season strong.””