Zvi Sherf

Zvi Sherf (Hebrew: צבי שרף; born December 18, 1951, in Tel Aviv, Israel), known almost universally by his nickname Zvika (Hebrew: צביקה), is an Israeli former basketball player and professional basketball coach.

Zvi Sherf

Sherf, in 2011.
Personal information
Born	(1951-12-18) December 18, 1951 (age 73) Tel Aviv, Israel
Position	Head coach
Career history
As a player:
1967–1970	Maccabi Tel Aviv
As a coach:
1976–1978	Maccabi Darom Tel Aviv
1978–1980	Beitar Jerusalem
1981–1983	Hapoel Ramat Gan
1983–1987	Maccabi Tel Aviv
1986–1987	Israel
1987–1988	Maccabi Elitzur Netanya
1988–1989	Maccabi Tel Aviv
1989–1990	Maccabi Rishon LeZion
1990–1992	Maccabi Tel Aviv
1992	Hapoel Jerusalem
1992–1993	Aris
1993–1997	Israel
1993–1995	Hapoel Tel Aviv
1995–1996	CSP Limoges
1996–1997	Maccabi Tel Aviv
1997–1999	PAOK Thessaloniki
1999–2001	Hapoel Jerusalem
2001–2002	Śląsk Wrocław
2002	Makedonikos
2002–2003	Hapoel Galil-Elyon
2003–2005	Dynamo Moscow
2005–2009	Israel
2007–2008	Maccabi Tel Aviv
2009–2011	Spartak Saint Petersburg
2013–2014	Maccabi Rishon LeZion
2015–2016	Maccabi Ashdod
2018	Maccabi Rishon LeZion
Career highlights
As head coach: FIBA Saporta Cup champion (1993) Russian Cup winner (2011) 10× Israeli Super League champion (1984–1987, 1989–1992) 6× Israeli State Cup winner (1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991) Israeli League Cup winner (2018)

Coaching career

Sherf played basketball with the Maccabi Tel Aviv youth teams, starting at age 12. By age 16, Sherf was playing for Maccabi South Tel Aviv (the club's second side), and was sent to a coaching course, along with fellow future Israeli basketball coach Pini Gershon. By age 20, Sherf was coaching the Maccabi Tel Aviv youth teams, and by age 25, he was coaching Maccabi South Tel Aviv, leading it to his first championship.

In the 1980–81 season, when Maccabi Tel Aviv won the EuroLeague, the Israeli League and the Israeli State Cup titles, Sherf was an assistant coach to Rudy D'Amico. Sherf became Maccabi Tel Aviv's head coach in the 1983–84 season, and stayed in that role through the 1985–86 season. In 1984, (at the age of 33), he became the senior men's Israeli national basketball team head coach.

His first Israeli national team coaching tenure (which lasted three years), saw two EuroBasket appearances (1985, 1987) and Israel's historic 7th place finish at the 1986 FIBA World Basketball Championship. Sherf's tenure as national team head coach ended after what was perceived as a poor performance at EuroBasket 1987 (11th position), but Sherf later returned as the team's head coach for the years 1991-97. In 2005, Sherf was again appointed head coach of the Israeli national basketball team, and on January 1, 2008, he was appointed head coach of Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Sherf's coaching career includes a Saporta Cup title with Aris Thessaloniki (1992–93), three EuroLeague Finals appearances, 10 Israeli League championships, and six Israeli State Cup titles (all with Maccabi Tel Aviv).

On April 10, 2018, Sherf returned to Maccabi Rishon LeZion for a third stint, replacing Shmulik Brener.^[1] On November 26, 2018, Sherf parted ways with Rishon LeZion.^[2]

Honors and awards

Israeli titles

• 10× Israeli Super League Champion: (1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92, all with Maccabi Tel Aviv);
• 6× Israeli State Cup Winner: (1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91, all with Maccabi Tel Aviv).

European honors and titles

• FIBA Saporta Cup Champion: (1992–93, with Aris Thessaloniki);
• 3× EuroLeague Finalist: (1986–87, 1988–89, 2007–08 with Maccabi Tel Aviv);
• EuroLeague Final Four: third-place (1990–91, with Maccabi Tel Aviv).
• Russian Cup Winner: (2010–11, with Spartak St. Petersburg)