Erez Edelstein

Edelstein began his coaching career as an assistant to Boaz Yanai at Hapoel Gvat in Israel's Artzit League during the 1990/91 season and subsequently became that team's head coach.[4] He went on to coach Maccabi Kiryat Motzkin and Maccabi Hadera before returning to a higher profile in 1995/96, when he served as Pini Gershon's assistant at Hapoel Jerusalem — a season that ended with the club winning the Israel State Cup.[4]

Following that stint, Edelstein moved through several additional clubs, coaching Bnei Herzliya, Hapoel Galil Elyon, and Maccabi Ramat Gan.[4] With Maccabi Ramat Gan, he guided the team to second place in the league in 2001.[4] Before ascending to the senior national-team job, he also worked as an assistant to Zvika Sherf with the national team and coached Israel's squad at the Universiade.[4]

In 2002, Edelstein took over as Hapoel Tel Aviv coach, replacing Arik Shivek, and led the club to seventh place.[4] He later returned to Hapoel Tel Aviv, guided the team back to Israel's top division, and coached the club for two further seasons.[4] During the 2003/04 campaign, he reached a European competition semifinal and the domestic playoff final, defeating Maccabi Tel Aviv twice in derby fixtures along the way.[4]

In 2005/06, Edelstein took charge of Hapoel Jerusalem. The team finished second in the league, reached the State Cup final, and advanced to the ULEB Cup semifinal.[5] A highlight of that European run came in Belgrade, where Hapoel Jerusalem overcame an opening 9–0 deficit against Crvena Zvezda to win 94–82, clinching second place in Group D and a No. 2 seed for the first elimination-round draw.[6] Despite those achievements, Hapoel Jerusalem dismissed Edelstein at the season's end and appointed Dan Shamir as his replacement.[5]

He also served as an assistant coach at Olympiacos in 2008, where he was dismissed alongside Pini Gershon.[4] In June 2016, Maccabi Tel Aviv signed Edelstein to a two-year contract reported at $500,000 per season while he continued as Israel's national-team coach.[7][1] His tenure at Maccabi lasted five official games: three domestic victories, over Ironi Nahariya, Hapoel Eilat, and Hapoel Holon, and two EuroLeague defeats, to Olimpia Milano and Real Madrid.[8] The club dismissed him at 02:27 in the early hours of 23 October 2016, shortly after the team had beaten Hapoel Holon 81–72 to move to the top of the domestic table.[8] The official explanation was "incompatibility between the parties," and assistant coach Rami Hadar replaced him.[8]

Edelstein was officially appointed coach of the Israel national basketball team in March 2014, after the Israel Basketball Association's professional committee unanimously recommended him.[3] The position came after David Blatt, Pini Gershon, and Zvika Sherf had each been offered the role.[3] He replaced Arik Shivek and set his immediate goal as returning Israel to the European Championships.[3] Israel's qualification group for EuroBasket 2015 included Montenegro, Bulgaria, and the Netherlands.[3]

Israel's selection as a co-host of EuroBasket 2017 changed the team's preparation landscape significantly. Tel Aviv's Yad Eliyahu Arena was designated to host a group phase from 31 August through 5 September, and as a host nation Israel did not need to qualify.[2] Edelstein said the guaranteed participation would allow the team to prepare a full year in advance and give younger players international experience free from the pressure of qualification.[2]

In the summer ahead of EuroBasket 2017, Israel won seven consecutive preparation games before losing 84–83 to Turkey.[9] Edelstein attributed the defeat to turnovers and poor shot selection, but expressed confidence in the squad's competitive qualities and said the loss offered a valuable lesson in recovering from setbacks.[9]

Oded Kattash was officially presented as Israel's new national-team coach on 10 October 2017, replacing Edelstein after what reporting characterized as disappointment at EuroBasket 2017.[10] Israel Basketball Association official Amos Frishman marked the transition by saying: "I want to thank Erez and Dan, who worked professionally."[10]

Contemporary reporting described Edelstein as a highly regarded but volatile and impulsive coach whose teams reflected his tactical approach and intensive preparation.[4] The report also associated him with public confrontations involving players, club executives, other coaches, and referees. One cited anecdote records that he threw a game board at Gili Musinzon during his time at Maccabi Ramat Gan.[4]

At a 2014 disciplinary hearing concerning national-team player Moran Rot, Edelstein articulated a clear philosophy about his responsibilities: "The national team is not private — not mine — it belongs to the people of Israel and Israeli basketball."[11] He stated that as coach his duty was to summon the players he deemed best suited and that he held no moral authority to release a player he considered appropriate to represent the country.[11]

A December 2021 retrospective recorded that Edelstein had coached continuously for 26 years across clubs including Hapoel Gvat/Yagur, Maccabi Kiryat Motzkin, Maccabi Hadera, Bnei Herzliya, Hapoel Galil Elyon, Maccabi Ramat Gan, Hapoel Jerusalem, Hapoel Tel Aviv, Maccabi Tel Aviv, and the Israel national team.[1] After his dismissal by Maccabi in 2016, he did not take another club coaching position; following his departure from the national team in 2017, he limited his basketball involvement to commentary.[1]

Across his career, Edelstein built a record as one of the more experienced Israeli coaches of his generation, having worked at virtually every significant level of Israeli basketball and in European competition. His 2005/06 Hapoel Jerusalem season in particular — second place in the league, a State Cup final appearance, and a ULEB Cup semifinal — stands as a benchmark of what he could achieve with a well-prepared club side.[5]

The circumstances of Edelstein's departure from Maccabi Tel Aviv in October 2016 drew differing accounts. The club's official statement cited only "incompatibility between the parties."[8] A detailed contemporary account instead attributed the dismissal to poor defense, a stagnant offense, strained relations with players, and a broader loss of confidence in the coach. An unnamed senior Maccabi source said the team had not received the confidence it needed and that Edelstein had lost the locker room.[12]

His simultaneous appointment as Maccabi Tel Aviv coach and Israel national-team coach was also publicly criticized. Analysts noted that Maccabi players were simultaneously candidates for the national squad, creating a potential conflict of interest, and that both roles were full-time positions.[7] His replacement at the national team in 2017 was described as following disappointment at EuroBasket 2017, though the cited source does not provide a complete tournament record or a more detailed official rationale for the change.[10]