The University of Mississippi Athletics
Petar Aleksic Joins Men’s Basketball Staff
7/28/2026 | Men's Basketball
OXFORD, Miss. – Longtime FIBA coach Petar Aleksić was named an assistant coach for the Ole Miss men's basketball program, head coach Chris Beard announced on Tuesday.
Aleksić has been involved in European basketball for nearly 35 years as a player and coach.
"Petar has built a reputation as a winner everywhere he's coached", Beard said. "His experience developing players, leading championship programs and competing at the highest levels of European basketball brings tremendous value to our staff. He's a teacher, a proven leader and someone who shares our commitment to building a championship culture at Ole Miss."
Aleksić brings more than two decades of coaching experience across Europe, with stops in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, as well as Serbia and the United Arab Emirates.
Most notably, Aleksić and Beard coached the 2015 Swiss National Team to one of the biggest basketball victories in the country's history. In the European Basketball Championship Second Qualifying Round, the duo pulled an upset against perennial power Russia in the tournament's opening game. During the summer, Beard traveled Europe with the team playing games and friendlies in Italy, Russia, Romania and Montenegro with Aleksić.
Most recently, Aleksić served as head coach of Al Wahda in the West Asia Super League after spending the 2024-25 season with FMP Belgrade, which competed in the ABA League and Basketball Champions League.
Before that, Aleksić spent 10 seasons (2013-23) as head coach of Fribourg Olympic, leading the Swiss powerhouse in domestic competition as well as the Basketball Champions League and FIBA Europe Cup. He also served as head coach of the Swiss men's national team from 2013-17 and the Swiss U20 national team from 2011-12.
During his 10-year tenure at Fribourg Olympic, Aleksić established one of the most successful runs in Swiss basketball history. He guided the club to six Swiss League championships, five Swiss Cups, three Swiss League Cups, four Swiss Super Cups and four regular-season titles while earning Swiss League Coach of the Year honors five times (2016, 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023). Under his leadership, Fribourg also qualified for the Basketball Champions League after advancing through the competition's qualifying rounds in 2019.
Throughout his coaching career, Aleksić has been recognized as Swiss Coach of the Year seven times, including league honors in 2011, 2012, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023. Before his success in Switzerland, he helped ALBA Berlin capture the German Basketball Bundesliga championship in 2008 and the German Cup in 2009 as an assistant coach. He also led Eurotech Baskets Feldkirch to the Austrian Second Division championship in 2005 while earning league Coach of the Year honors.
Aleksić also spent a 17-year professional playing career competing in the Yugoslav First and Second divisions, as well as in Hungary and Switzerland. He played for Leotar Trebinje (Bosnia and Herzegovina), BBC Nyon (Switzerland), Union Neuchâtel (Switzerland), ZTE (Hungary), FMP Železnik (Serbia), NAP Novi Sad (Serbia), KK Zagreb (Croatia) and JUG Dubrovnik (Croatia).
Aleksić has been involved in European basketball for nearly 35 years as a player and coach.
"Petar has built a reputation as a winner everywhere he's coached", Beard said. "His experience developing players, leading championship programs and competing at the highest levels of European basketball brings tremendous value to our staff. He's a teacher, a proven leader and someone who shares our commitment to building a championship culture at Ole Miss."
Aleksić brings more than two decades of coaching experience across Europe, with stops in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, as well as Serbia and the United Arab Emirates.
Most notably, Aleksić and Beard coached the 2015 Swiss National Team to one of the biggest basketball victories in the country's history. In the European Basketball Championship Second Qualifying Round, the duo pulled an upset against perennial power Russia in the tournament's opening game. During the summer, Beard traveled Europe with the team playing games and friendlies in Italy, Russia, Romania and Montenegro with Aleksić.
Most recently, Aleksić served as head coach of Al Wahda in the West Asia Super League after spending the 2024-25 season with FMP Belgrade, which competed in the ABA League and Basketball Champions League.
Before that, Aleksić spent 10 seasons (2013-23) as head coach of Fribourg Olympic, leading the Swiss powerhouse in domestic competition as well as the Basketball Champions League and FIBA Europe Cup. He also served as head coach of the Swiss men's national team from 2013-17 and the Swiss U20 national team from 2011-12.
During his 10-year tenure at Fribourg Olympic, Aleksić established one of the most successful runs in Swiss basketball history. He guided the club to six Swiss League championships, five Swiss Cups, three Swiss League Cups, four Swiss Super Cups and four regular-season titles while earning Swiss League Coach of the Year honors five times (2016, 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023). Under his leadership, Fribourg also qualified for the Basketball Champions League after advancing through the competition's qualifying rounds in 2019.
Throughout his coaching career, Aleksić has been recognized as Swiss Coach of the Year seven times, including league honors in 2011, 2012, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023. Before his success in Switzerland, he helped ALBA Berlin capture the German Basketball Bundesliga championship in 2008 and the German Cup in 2009 as an assistant coach. He also led Eurotech Baskets Feldkirch to the Austrian Second Division championship in 2005 while earning league Coach of the Year honors.
Aleksić also spent a 17-year professional playing career competing in the Yugoslav First and Second divisions, as well as in Hungary and Switzerland. He played for Leotar Trebinje (Bosnia and Herzegovina), BBC Nyon (Switzerland), Union Neuchâtel (Switzerland), ZTE (Hungary), FMP Železnik (Serbia), NAP Novi Sad (Serbia), KK Zagreb (Croatia) and JUG Dubrovnik (Croatia).
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