FC Bayern Munich announced on Saturday that the club has mutually agreed to part ways with head coach Gordon Herbert with immediate effect. The decision comes after a prolonged downturn in the EuroLeague and follows a constructive discussion between both parties.
Herbert exits after one and a half seasons in charge, during which Bayern captured the 2025 Bundesliga title and reached the EuroLeague Play-Ins. He took over the role after leading the German national team through the 2024 Olympics, a tenure that elevated expectations in Munich.
The timing is driven primarily by results in Europe’s top competition. Bayern has lost eight straight EuroLeague games, most recently a 77–103 defeat to AS Monaco, marking the worst European losing streak in club history.
Through 17 EuroLeague games, Bayern sits 19th in the standings at 5–12 with a minus-117 point differential. The team has struggled on the road, posting a 1–9 away record while allowing 1440 points, one of the league’s highest totals.
Despite European struggles, Bayern remains near the top of the Bundesliga table and is still alive in domestic competitions. The club is also scheduled to compete in the German Cup’s Munich Top Four on February 21–22.
For Sunday evening’s league matchup at the sold-out Lanxess Arena in Cologne against sixth-placed Bonn, Bayern will be coached by the current assistant staff. The club expects to clarify its succession plan by Tuesday’s EuroLeague home game against league leaders Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv at the SAP Garden.
Sports director Dragan Tarlac addressed the decision upon returning from Monaco. “First of all, we want to thank Gordie for his work. Especially last season, he played a major role in the surge of enthusiasm for basketball in Munich,” Tarlac said.
Tarlac emphasized that Herbert was not solely responsible for the downturn. He cited roster turnover after EuroBasket, injuries to key players, an unfavorable schedule, and Herbert’s own illness-related absence as contributing factors.
“Nevertheless, it’s now clear to everyone that we’ve reached a sporting crossroads and are obliged to provide the team, which always gives its all, with new impetus,” Tarlac said. He added that the EuroLeague season is not yet halfway complete and that Bayern still has significant objectives ahead.
Herbert becomes the latest high-profile coaching departure in the EuroLeague this season. Ioannis Sfairoupoulos, Zeljko Obradovic, Joan Penarroya, Igor Kokoskov, and Ettore Messina have also left their respective posts.
