BC Avtodor

History

Establishment and growth (1960–1992)

Founded in 1960 as Spartak Saratov, former player Vladimir Rodionov became its head coach in the 1982. The club was later renamed into Avtodorozhnik (road engineer) - shortened to Avtodor in 1996 - in reference to a late benefactor.

Scaling the heights (1992–2004)

Joining the Russian League at its creation in 1992, the club competed with CSKA Moscow (being the first club to defeat them in the league) for national supremacy during the rest of the decade, finishing in second place four times between 1994 and 1999. It would win the regular season in both 1997 and 1998, but lost both finals series against CSKA 2–3, and 1–3 respectively.

The Russian outfit regularly took part in European competitions during that period, reaching the semifinals of the 1998 second-tier EuroCup and playing in the 1999 top-tier EuroLeague (exiting at the first group stage). Avtodor defeated CSKA in the 2001–02 playoff quarterfinals, the only team to have prevented the Army men from reaching the top four in Russian basketball history.

Demise and rebuilding (2004–2014)

After threatening to do so for years because of disputes with the local administration, especially regarding the lack of a convenient arena, Rodionov moved the organisation to Saint Petersburg during the 2004 summer. He would form Dynamo Saint Petersburg, transferring some of Avtodor's best players such as Vladimir Veremeenko, and its place in the Super League.

Meanwhile, a cash-strapped Avtodor voluntarily relegated itself to the second division for 2004–05, fielding an noncompetitive side made of youngsters, before moving down to the third division in 2005. Avtodor would win the second division in 2009 but did not have the financial means to return to the Super League. It did return to the Super League in 2012 but by that time the league had become the domestic second division. Winning that league in 2014, in large part thanks to the play of league MVP Courtney Fortson and promising youngster Artem Klimenko, the club received an invitation to play in the top-tier VTB United League and the European third-tier EuroChallenge for 2014-15.

The club was able to fund its participation thanks to increased support from the local administration, who reduced the funding of the city's ice hockey club Kristall Saratov to compensate.

Back at the top (2014–2019)

After losing seven of its first nine VTB League games, Avtodor regrouped with the help of November acquisition Kyrylo Fesenko and the play of December league MVP Fortson.

In the league, Avtodor beat sides CSKA Moscow, Khimki Moscow Region, Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar and Unics Kazan to reach the playoffs,

2020-present

In early 2022, after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Americans D. J. Funderburk and Grant Jerrett and Canadians Kenny Chery and Philip Scrubb left the team.

Arena

Avtodor formerly played in the Yunost arena, seating only a few hundred and unable to accommodate television broadcasts, which meant the side had to play its European games in Moscow. During the 1997–98 season, the club played its regular-season games in the Yunost arena before moving for its playoffs games to an indoor-football arena whilst a new arena was being refurbished.

It moved to the newly reopened 1,500 seat Zvezdny Sports Palace in May of that year, though this arena also proved too small as 2,000 fans packed the venue during a 21 May 1998 game against CSKA (albeit the league title decisive game), with some hanging from the balcony.

Calls for the club to move in the larger Kristall Arena (an ice hockey arena built in 1969),

Honours

Domestic competitions

• Russian First Division
  • Runners-up (4): 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999
  • Regular season champions (2): 1997, 1998
• Russian Second Division
  • Champions (2): 2009, 2014

Season by season

Current roster

Notable players

2020s

• RUS Evgeny Kolesnikov 4 seasons: '15–'17, '21–
• RUS Nikita Mikhailovskii 5 seasons: '17–'21, '22–
• CAN Kenny Chery 1 season: '21–'22
• USA Jaron Johnson 1 season: '21–'22 2010s
• USA Justin Robinson 1 season: '17–'18
• USA Coty Clarke 1 season: '17–'18
• USA Nick Minnerath 1 season: '16–'17
• RUS Artem Zabelin 4 seasons: '15–19
• UKR Kyrylo Fesenko 1 season: '14–'15
• USA Courtney Fortson 2 seasons: '13–'15
• RUS Ivan Strebkov seasons: '13–'14
• Ukraine Artem Klimenko 3 seasons: '12–18 2000s
• RUS Semyon Antonov 3 seasons: '06–'09
• RUS Artem Zabelin 3 seasons: '03–'07, '15-present
• RUS Yaroslav Korolev 1 season: '03–'04
• SVN Beno Udrih 1 season: '03–'04
• BLR Vladimir Veremeenko 2 seasons: '02–'04
• RUS Nikita Morgunov season: '02
• USA Kebu Stewart 1 season: '01–'02
• RUS Victor Khryapa 2 seasons: '00–'02
• RUS Sergei Monia 2 seasons: '00–'02 1990s
• RUS Andrei Fetisov 1 season: '98–'99
• RUS Sergei Chikalkin 1 season: '98–'99
• UKR Grigorij Khizhnyak 1 season: '98–'99
• LAT Roberts Štelmahers season: '98
• NGA Julius Nwosu season: '98
• LTU Darius Lukminas 2 seasons: '96–'98
• RUS Evgeniy Pashutin 4 seasons: '95–'99
• RUS Zakhar Pashutin 4 seasons: '95–'99
• LTU Gintaras Einikis 4 seasons: '95–'99
• RUS Vitaly Nosov 1 season: '92–'93

Head coaches

• 2014 RUS Vladimir Antsiferov
• 2014—2015 RUS Sergei Mokin
• 2015 RUS Vladimir Rodionov
• 2015 USA Brad Greenberg
• 2015—2016 RUS
• 2016 RUS Vladimir Antsiferov
• 2016 LAT Nikolajs Mazurs
• 2016 RUS Sergei Mokin
• 2016—2017 RUS Vladimir Antsiferov
• 2017 ITA
• 2017—2018 RUS Evgeniy Pashutin
• 2018 RUS Sergei Mokin
• 2018—2019 SRB Dušan Alimpijević
• 2019 RUS Evgeniy Pashutin
• 2019—2020 BIH Predrag Krunić
• 2020 LIT Donaldas Kairys
• 2020—2021 CAN Gordon Herbert
• 2021 RUS (interim)
• 2021—2022 MKD Emil Rajković
• 2022 RUS (interim)
• 2022 SRB Nebojša Vidić
• 2022 MNE
• 2022—2023 SRB Darko Ruso
• 2023 SRB Branislav Vićentić
• 2023-present SRB Milenko Bogićević

Notes

References

References

1. "Leave or stay: American players in Russia".
2. (18 February 2015). "Map of the league - Avtodor Saratov". [[VTB United League]].
3. . (14 November 2014). ["Astana meets Avtodor"](http://bcastana.kz/en/news/id/7691).
4. . (25 August 2015). ["Club profile: Avtodor Saratov"](http://www.eurocupbasketball.com/eurocup/news/i/6amicsl9d4uwskho/club-profile-avtodor-saratov).
5. Fyodorov, Gennady. (11 April 1998). "Avtodor beats CSKA 98-87, grabs regular-season title".
6. Fyodorov, Gennady. (8 May 1998). "Russian League final set despite arena problems".
7. Fyodorov, Gennady. (21 May 1998). "CSKA takes crown with road win".
8. . ["Avtodor Saratov - team history"](http://www.fibaeurope.com/eurochallenge/pageID_8T2I,t-vIzEIFjgX-GYfo1.compID_BYg5Rb55Jw-G5I3MZ6JB01.season_2015.roundID_10369.teamID_2235.html).
9. . (19 September 2014). ["Vladimir Rodionov: Avtodor is going to be the League's fastest team"](http://www.vtb-league.com/en/news/avtodor-is-going-to-be-the-leagues-fastest-team.htm).
10. . (31 January 2015). ["Game of the Week. Khimki takes on Saratov; Monia returns home"](http://www.vtb-league.com/en/news/game-of-the-week-khimki-takes-on-saratov-monia-returns-home.htm).
11. . (28 November 1997). ["Russia starts cup drive with 116-73 stunner"](http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/russia-starts-cup-drive-with-116-73-stunner/296867.html).
12. Kazankov, Andrei. (26 January 2009). "Vladimir Veremeenko, Unics Kazan".
13. link. Snastin. Kiril. (12 October 2004)
14. link. (7 December 2014). Sport-Express]].ru
15. . (9 April 2015). ["Avtodor's bumpy season finds reward"](http://www.fibaeurope.com/eurochallenge/cid_04nV5LW1InMnPsDwhkujE0.teamID_97200.compID_BYg5Rb55Jw-G5I3MZ6JB01.season_2015.roundID_10369.coid_ajWpdYrkJfwgNptiddVsV2.articleMode_on.html).
16. . (12 May 2015). ["Quarterfinals. Recap"](http://www.vtb-league.com/en/news/quarterfinals-recap-2.htm).
17. Fyodorov, Gennady. (25 April 1997). "Avtodor downs CSKA 109-107 for 1-0 lead".
18. . (16 May 1998). ["CSKA heads to Saratov leading 2-1"](http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/cska-heads-to-saratov-leading-2-1/290754.html).
19. . (11 November 2014). ["Week 6. Recap"](http://www.vtb-league.com/en/news/week-6-recap-3.htm).
20. "Предраг Крунич возглавил «Автодор»".
21. "Дональдас Кайрис возглавил «Автодор»".
22. "Горди Херберт возглавил «Автодор»".
23. "Эмиль Райкович - главный тренер «Автодора»".
24. [https://web.archive.org/web/20220803200716/http://www.avtodor.ru/index.php/news-events/item/4843-%D0%BD%D0%B5%D0%B1%D0%BE%D0%B9%D1%88%D0%B0-%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B8%D1%87-%D0%B3%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B9-%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%80-%D0%B0%D0%B2%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B0 Небойша Видич - главный тренер "Автодора"]
25. [https://avtodor.ru/milosh-pavichevich-vernulsya-v-avtodor/ Милош Павичевич вернулся в «Автодор»]
26. [https://avtodor.ru/darko-russo-novyj-glavnyj-trener-avtodora/ Дарко Руссо – новый главный тренер «Автодора»]
27. [https://avtodor.ru/branislav-vichentich-novyj-glavnyj-trener-avtodora/ Бранислав Вичентич — новый главный тренер «Автодора»]