The “fox” of the benches, the great Kostas Mourouzis, was the man that led the Olympiacos team to its first big European success. The great coach took over the “red and whites” in the middle of the 1976-77 season and during his first season he led Olympiacos to win the Greek cup.

The “fox” of the benches, the great Kostas Mourouzis, was the man that led the Olympiacos team to its first big European success. The great coach took over the “red and whites” in the middle of the 1976-77 season and during his first season he led Olympiacos to win the Greek cup.

Next season, the most winning coach of Greek basketball until Giannis Ioannides broke his record, led Olympiacos to winning the double! The team with Giatzoglou, Kastrinakis, Melini, Diakoulas and Barlas was sweeping everything in its way.

With Kostas Mourouzis in the bench, Olympiacos got to know European recognition. The “fox” led the “red and whites” to the best six teams: “It had probably been the best moment in my career. When we got qualified against the Polish team, I didn’t even have the time to run to the locker rooms the way I was used to doing, since the fans lifted me up in their hands and wouldn’t let me down. This game left its mark on me”, he remembers years later.

At the same time the “red and whites” were making the top six teams in Europe, they were losing the title in Greece to Aris, due to a coin that hit Giorgos Proestos. Olympiacos got eliminated and Giannis Ioannidis won his first championship.

Besides Olympiacos, Kostas Mourouzis has had a great career and has won many titles as the head coach of Panathinaikos (6 championships), while before he got to Piraeus, he coached AEK (1 Greek cup) and the National basketball team.

As an athlete he played for Triton from 1948 to 1955 and when he was 17 he played for the National team. From 1955 and for five seasons he moved to Italy and to Gira Bologna where he became the top scorer of the Italian League in 1956. In 1959 he returned to Triton and had the role of player-coach, while two years later he retired due to a problem with his lungs.