Arnaldo Taurisano

Arnaldo Taurisano (Milan, 18 November 1933^[1] – Brescia, 7 May 2019) was an Italian professional basketball coach. In 2009, at the age of 76, he became member of the Italian Basketball Hall of Fame.

His career

He began his coaching career before reaching the thirties by the local clubs of Lombardy as Pavoniana Milano and Nuova Pallacanestro Vigevano.

In 1963 went north to the club of Pallacanestro Cantù^[2] as an assistant coach and heads of infrastructure departments. In 1965–66 season he had the first great opportunity to coach the men's section of Oransoda Cantù and led the team in the fifth place of Serie A with a 12–10 wins record. In 1969 he resumed the position as head coach of the team and began the golden period of his career that lasted over the decade of the 70s. After the first year (1969–70) where the team ranked 6th and the arrival of Pierluigi Marzorati,^[3] the next four year Forst Cantù emerged consistently as the third power^[4] of Italian League behind the classic superpowers of Ignis Varese and Simmenthal Milano. The 1974–75 season^[5] was one of the best for Arnaldo Taurisano after winning with his team the -unique in his career- Italian championship. The last three years at the same time, made Forst Cantù considerable force in European basketball after he led the club to three consecutive wins of the newly founded FIBA Korać Cup in three consecutive finals against Maes Pils (1973), Partizan (1973–74) and Ranko Žeravica's FC Barcelona (1974–75). In September 1975 Arnaldo Taurisano participated as Italian champion with Forst in the FIBA Intercontinental Cup held in the cities of Cantù and Varese. In a five games round with a record 4–1 wins and became world champions. During the year, the team took part in the FIBA European Champions Cup where reached the semifinals and finally eliminated by Mobilgirgi Varese. The second place in the regular season of Serie A sent Forst in the FIBA European Cup Winners' Cup of the next year. In this way given an opportunity to Taurisano to earn extra European titles leading Gabetti Cantù in three consecutive even and eventually victorious finals, while remaining extremely competitive in the domestic leagues. In 1979 he retired full days, experiences and titles from the small city of Cantù with the great team, leaving as a legacy^[6] a club ready το found at the top of Europe in the coming years.