Legendary Greek basketball coach Soulis Markopoulos passes away at 77

Soulis Markopoulos, a highly respected figure in Greek basketball, has died at the age of 77. His passing marks the end of a career that spanned more than four decades, characterized by his dedication to the sport as both a player and a coach.

Markopoulos is remembered as one of the most successful coaches in Greek history, ranking third on the all-time list with 341 victories in the top domestic league, trailing only Giannis Ioannidis and Zeljko Obradovic. Beyond his win tally, he holds a record for managing over 700 games in the Greek championship. Throughout his career, he led several major clubs, including PAOK, Aris, AEK, Iraklis, Maroussi, and Makedonikos. His crowning achievement was leading PAOK to victory in the 1994 Korac Cup. He was also recognized as the top coach of the A1 league twice, in 2008 and 2014.

Before his coaching career, Markopoulos played for Olympos 40 Ekklision and Dimokritos between 1967 and 1978. He transitioned directly into coaching at Dimokritos, eventually serving at various top-tier organizations until his final position at Aris, where he resigned in December 2019.