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2024-2025 BASKETBALL (M) COACHES

Rastko
Popovic



• 

  Head Coach

• Rastko Popovic was introduced as the head coach of the Concordia Stingers men’s basketball team on April 22, 2015.

  He became only the third head coach in the history of the Concordia program. He replaced John Dore who retired after 26 seasons (1989-2015). Doug Daigneault served 14 years with the Stingers (1975-1989).

  Popovic began his university coaching career as an assistant with the Stingers women’s basketball team in 2006. He moved to the Concordia men’s team in 2013 and was instrumental in bringing in key recruits including Ken Beaulieu, the most exciting Quebec university player since the legendary Damian Buckley joined the Stingers in 2005.

  During his first five seasons in charge, the Stingers finished in first or second place in the RSEQ conference every year and boasted a win-loss record of 53-27 (66.2 per cent). The team won the Quebec title in 2019 and earned its first berth at the U Sports championship tournament since 2012.

  Popovic started his coaching career in 2003 at École Secondaire Saint-Laurent. As head coach of the high school’s midget girls team from 2006-11, he won three AA provincial championships and two AAA titles in the Montreal Basketball League.

  In 2012 he was named head coach of Quebec’s 15-and-under girls program and went on to win a silver medal at nationals. In 2015 he was head coach of the Quebec 15-and-under boys team and also won a silver medal at the Canadian championship.

  Popovic was an exceptional shooting guard with the Concordia Stingers men’s basketball program from 2001

  through 2006. It was an exciting era for the Stingers that saw the team win a silver medal at the CIS championship in 2005 and take on many of the top NCAA teams, including Duke and University of Connecticut.

  Previously he played at Cégep de Sherbrooke. In 2001 he was an all-star and the second leading scorer in the CEGEP AAA league. He started his basketball career at École secondaire de l’Île in Gatineau, Que.

  Popovic graduated from Concordia in 2005 with a BComm, major in Marketing.

  He is married to Nashira Khalil and they have two young daughters, Savana and Kalina.

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