25+ years of experience
Dejan Ilic is an author, experienced basketball coach, and former player with over 25 years invested in basketball. Coach Ilic has spent his long career studying with renowned basketball coaches with a wide range of backgrounds.
Dejan Ilic
Basketball Coach
Author bio
As an avid basketball player himself, coach Ilic has a proven track record of player communication, productivity, and a tireless drive to succeed. This has led him to play for numerous Serbian basketball and 3×3 teams with lots of accomplishments, including winning first place at 10+ Serbian and International 3×3 tournaments, 2nd place in the Serbian national finals, and representing the Serbian national team in USA Red Bull 3×3 World Finals on two separate occasions.
Coach Ilic has many coaching accomplishments as well, including the Regional League championship in the 2021/2022 season as a head coach of BC Veba Basket from Belgrade, Serbia.
Founder of Hoop Mentality, a platform dedicated to empowering basketball players and coaches globally.
Experience as a player
Youth basketball from 1996-2004. Played for various teams in Serbia, member of U12 and U13 Serbian National youth teams.
Senior semi-professional career from 2004-2016. Serbian First Regional League, various teams. 2008. Regional League Champions. 2012/2013, 2013/2014 Regional League top 3 scorers.
Fiba 3×3 Championship 2016-2018. First place at multiple (10+) Serbian and International 3×3 tournaments, 2nd place in the Serbian national finals, and represented the Serbian national team in USA Red Bull 3×3 World Finals two times.
Experience as a coach
2008-2013. – U12 assistant coach at various youth teams.
2013-2016. – U18 assistant coach at BC Zitko Basket.
2016/2017. – U18 assistant coach and head scout at BC Red Star Belgrade (First National U18 League).
2017/2018. – Assistant coach and head scout at BC Mladost
Zemun in the First Serbian Basketball League (Seniors).
2018/2019. – Head of player development, and scout for the U16 team at BC Vizura.
2019. – U16 head coach and Basketball Academy head coordinator at BC Vizura (First National U16 League).
Early 2020. (before COVID-19 pandemic) – U16 head coach at BC Zitko Basket (First Regional U16 League, Belgrade).
2020/2021. – Individual basketball practices and youth player development.
2021/2022. – Head coach at BC Veba Basket in the Second Regional League (Finished 1st place, League Champions.
2022/2023. – Assistant coach and head scout at BC Slodes Belgrade in the 2nd Serbian Basketball League (Seniors). Qualified for the playoffs with the youngest team in the league (average age 19.9).
2023/2024. – Individual basketball practices and youth player development under personal coaching brand Hoop Mentality.
Stay dedicated and improve every day!
Coach Ilic is a driven, passionate and dedicated worker that loves spending hours in the gym and working hard. A willingness to learn and improve every day is what drives his successful career.
In his book, Transition Offense Against Any Defense, he hopes to distill decades of his basketball experience into a concise, compelling handbook that will help both aspiring and established basketball coaches improve their teams.
He has also worked as a basketball scout for many youth and professional basketball teams, which improved his tactical thinking.
Coach Ilic is licensed as a basketball coach by the Serbian Association Of Basketball Coaches.