By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Shortly following elimination for LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne from the Betclic Elite Playoffs 2026, head coach Pierric Poupet recapped his time steering the French club.
This departure follows a difficult campaign in the 2025–26 season. His side finished last in the EuroLeague Regular Season with an 8–30 record, before falling to Cholet in the Quarterfinals of the domestic Playoffs on Saturday. Despite receiving no contract offer and team president Tony Parker expected to take over play-calling duties heading to the 2026-27 edition of the EuroLeague, the Norman native is on his way out with his head held high.
After previously serving as an assistant coach, Poupet was originally hired as the new head coach midway through the 2023-24 season, succeeding Gianmarco Pozzecco. “I didn’t have any other professional ambitions initially,” he noted during an interview with Le Progres. “I found myself managing a staff and a group of players in the EuroLeague, and it accelerated my growth and experience.”
Ultimately, the 41-year-old coach views his exit as the natural conclusion of a productive journey within the ASVEL organization. “Every story has an end,” Poupet remarked. “I was able to spend five years at ASVEL. There are cycles of varying lengths, and in the world of the EuroLeague, that’s a good thing. Perhaps it was the right time.”
As for his immediate next steps, he intends to prioritize rest before assessing new coaching roles. “Right now, I want and need to take a break,” he admitted. “It will depend on the opportunities, in a market that is currently slow at the European level and quite closed at the French level.”
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