Ranko Žeravica facts for kids
Standing second from the right in 1968.
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 17 November 1929 Dragutinovo, Danube Banovina, Kingdom of Yugoslavia |
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| Nationality | Serbian | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 29 October 2015 (aged 85) Belgrade, Serbia |
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| Coaching career | 1954–2003 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| As coach: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1954–1960 | Radnički Belgrade | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1960–1965 | Yugoslavia (assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1965–1972 | Yugoslavia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1971–1974 | Partizan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1974–1976 | FC Barcelona | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1976–1978 | Partizan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1978–1980 | Pula | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1980 | Yugoslavia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1980–1986 | Crvena Zvezda | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1982 | Yugoslavia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1987–1989 | CAI Zaragoza | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1989–1990 | Irge Desio | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1990 | Filodoro Napoli | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1991 | Conservas Daroca | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1991 | Slobodna Dalmacija Split | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
As head coach:
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Medals
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Ranko Žeravica (Serbian Cyrillic: Ранко Жеравица) was a famous Serbian basketball coach. He was born on November 17, 1929, and passed away on October 29, 2015. He coached basketball for over 50 years!
Ranko Žeravica is best known for leading the Yugoslav national team. He coached them in the 1960s, 1970s, and early 1980s. His biggest success was guiding Yugoslavia to their first major win. They won a gold medal at the 1970 FIBA World Championship held in their home country. This victory helped basketball become very popular across Yugoslavia.
In 2007, Ranko Žeravica was honored by being added to the FIBA Hall of Fame. A sports hall, the Ranko Žeravica Sports Hall, was named after him in 2016 to remember his amazing contributions to basketball.
Contents
Early Life of Ranko Žeravica
Ranko Žeravica was born in a village called Dragutinovo. His parents were Milorad and Gordana. He started school in his village. Later, he traveled by train every day to attend school in Kikinda.
His family originally came from Herzegovina. Many generations before him, his family moved to the Mošorin area. There, they became successful farmers and owned a lot of land.
Ranko Žeravica's Coaching Career
Coaching Basketball Clubs
After he stopped playing basketball, Ranko Žeravica became a coach for many different basketball clubs. He led his teams to important victories.
He won the FIBA Korać Cup championship in 1978. He also guided his team to win the Yugoslav League championship in 1996.
Coaching the Yugoslav National Team
Ranko Žeravica was the head coach for the senior men's Yugoslavia national basketball team. He helped them win many medals in big international competitions.
- He led them to a gold medal at the 1980 Summer Olympic Games.
- He also coached them to a gold medal at the 1970 FIBA World Championship.
His teams also earned several silver medals:
- 1968 Summer Olympic Games
- 1967 FIBA World Championship
- 1969 EuroBasket
- 1971 EuroBasket
He also coached Yugoslavia to a bronze medal at the 1982 FIBA World Championship. Ranko Žeravica also coached Yugoslavia at the 1972 Summer Olympic Games and the 1967 EuroBasket.
Here are some of the national teams he coached:
- 1967–72
Yugoslavia - 1980 Yugoslavia
- 1980
Argentina (as a technical adviser) - 1982 Yugoslavia
Later Life and Passing
Ranko Žeravica had some heart problems later in his life. In 2009, he had a heart attack and underwent surgery. In early 2015, he had another mild heart attack and received treatment.
Ranko Žeravica passed away peacefully at his home in Belgrade on October 29, 2015. He was 85 years old.
See also
- FIBA Basketball World Cup winning head coaches
- Ranko Žeravica Sports Hall
- We Will Be the World Champions
