ARLINGTON – Boasting extensive international experience and collegiate stops at both SMU and DePaul, Nemanja Jovanovic has been tabbed by KT Turner as the new UT Arlington men's basketball Assistant to the Head Coach.
 
Jovanovic, who primarily goes by Yogi, spent 2022-23 with DePaul as the Blue Demons' Special Assistant to the Head Coach, and that followed seven years at SMU – five of which Turner was also on staff with the Mustangs. Additionally, Jovanovic was a member of the five-time NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs Summer League coaching staff in 2022.
 
A native of Serbia, Jovanovic will start his role with the Mavericks immediately, and beginning on July 1 will also be able to engage in coaching activities. In January, the NCAA Division I Council voted to approve an increase of two (2) basketball coaches who can participate in skill instruction, but may not recruit off campus.
 
These positions are in addition to the three assistant coaches – which will be filled by the previously announced  Sean Stout, Jeremy Pope and Keith Pickens. Jovanovic and new Director of Operations & Recruiting Cody San Miguel will serve as the two additional 'coaches' while also performing their day-to-day duties.
 
"Yogi brings a wealth of knowledge to our staff and program," stated Turner of his final full-time staff member. "He knows the game extremely well, and he's been around it a long time as a head coach and in numerous other roles. Yogi also has a strong international background and recruiting base which will serve us well."
 
Jovanovic spent seven years (2015-22) on the staff at SMU, including the final four as Director of Player Development (2018-22). He also served as the Special Assistant to the Head Coach for two seasons (2016-18) and one as Director of Video Services (2015-16). Jovanovic stepped into a head coaching role for two weeks with the rest of the staff unable to travel with the team due to COVID quarantine protocols in the 2021-22 season.
 
During Jovanovic's tenure at SMU, the Mustangs won the American Athletic Conference regular season title (2017), the AAC Tournament championship (2017), made the NCAA Tournament (2017) and the NIT twice (2021, 2022). The Mustangs garnered three AAC Player of the Year honors and two AAC Sixth Man of the Year awards. The program was ranked, or received votes, by the Associated Press in six of the seven seasons Jovanovic was at SMU, helping them climb as high as #8. Jovanovic and the Mustangs produced five NBA players during his time in Dallas, and several more went on to play professionally.
 
Jovanovic began his coaching career in 2002 as the player development coach for BC Zeleznicar Lajkovac. He then went on to work as an assistant coach for one of the top European teams in Red Star Belgrade.
 
He joined SMU after stints as the head coach for the Nassjo Basket basketball team in Sweden (2015) and the Danish Horsholm 79ers (2012-14). During his two seasons in Denmark, he was also involved with the National Team program as the coach for individual player development. Through 12 seasons of coaching in Europe, Jovanovic held coaching positions in Serbia, Spain, Denmark and Sweden.
 
In Serbia, he coached NBA Draft picks Nemanja Bjelica (2010, Round 2 / 35th overall by the Washington Wizards) and Nemanja Nedovic (2013, Round 1 / 30th by the Phoenix Suns). Bjelica became just the fourth NBA player from Serbia to win an NBA Championship when he did so with the Golden State Warriors in 2022.
 
Additionally in the summer of 2016, Jovanovic served as a member of the Utah Jazz NBA Summer League coaching staff.
 
Jovanovic holds a FIBA coaching license and has basketball coaching certifications from the Basketball Academy Belgrade (Serbia) and the Basketball Academy Madrid (Spain). In 2009, he completed a bachelor's degree in sport/basketball from the University of Belgrade.
 
SEASON TICKET DEPOSITS
Season ticket deposits for 2023-24 are already being accepted. With a one-time deposit of only $50/seat, fans can lock in their season ticket(s) to secure a spot in the state-of-the-art College Park Center for KT Turner's first year. For more information and to lock in a deposit, click here.
 
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