SYNTAINICS MBC has appointed a new head of sporting operations: Silvano Poropat is returning as sporting director and will take responsibility for the sporting development of the cup winners from August. The long-standing successful coach is set to continue the era of Martin Geissler.
MBC has found its ideal solution: Silvano Poropat, who shaped the club as coach for over a decade, is returning in a new role. The 54-year-old Croatian will take over overall sporting responsibility at the BBL cup winners from August. He will focus in particular on the men’s team in the BBL and the youth development program. Together with outgoing managing director Martin Geissler and head coach Marco Ramondino, Poropat is already working on squad planning for the 2025/26 season.
“In Silvano Poropat, we have signed our absolute dream candidate for the sporting leadership of SYNTAINICS MBC,” explains Geissler. Poropat will succeed Geissler, whose duties will be divided between two people by the end of the year at the latest. While Mario Zurkowski will cover women’s basketball, Poropat will be responsible for the men’s and youth structures. The returnee has been given a permanent contract and will accompany the team to their training camp in Slovenia in August.
For Poropat himself, the return is more than just a new job: “I would like to thank Martin Geissler, who initiated my return, and the advisory board, which is giving me this opportunity and placing its trust in me. I can hardly wait to get started. I am looking forward to this new challenge.”
A familiar face
Silvano Poropat has long been more than just a name in Weißenfels. From 2011 to 2021, with a few interruptions, he was head coach of the Wolves and celebrated several successes with the club. In 2012, the club was promoted back to the Bundesliga, and in 2014, he was voted “Coach of the Year.” Even in difficult phases, such as during the 2020/21 pandemic season, he led the team to safety.
Poropat played a total of 208 competitive games with MBC, including 93 wins. It’s a performance that still resonates today: since 2021, the floor of the Weißenfels City Hall has been named “Silvano Poropat Court.”
