Igor Kokoskov joins Project B as head of player development

Igor Kokoskov, the Serbian tactician who became the first NBA head coach born and raised outside North America and led Slovenia to the 2017 FIBA EuroBasket title, has been named head of player development for Project B, the upcoming men's and women's touring basketball league set to debut in January 2027.

The announcement was made on Thursday, July 16, 2026. Kokoskov — who coached the Phoenix Suns in 2018 — will be responsible for talent development across both the men's and women's circuits of the innovative new league.

With more than two decades of NBA assistant coaching experience, including stints with the Atlanta Hawks and a previous tenure with the Suns from 2008 to 2013, Kokoskov brings a wealth of expertise to the role. On the international stage, he led Slovenia to a historic EuroBasket championship in 2017 and later coached the Serbian national team, cementing his reputation as one of the game's foremost developers of talent.

Project B is structured as a six-team league with 11 players per squad, barnstorming across Europe and Asia. Valencia, Spain, and Tokyo have already been confirmed as host cities. The men's and women's circuits will run concurrently from January to April 2027. The league recently hired former Atlanta Hawks general manager Landry Fields as head of men's basketball, and approximately a dozen women's players have already committed to the women's circuit.

Kokoskov's appointment marks another step in Project B's effort to build a high-level technical staff as it prepares to carve out a space in the global basketball landscape with an innovative touring format.

Sources

• https://apnews.com/article/project-b-wnba-nba-igor-kokoskov-1060efd72ffa4e27c8d9602ff6f294ef