Didin says that he never really plans anything in advance. He does think that there could be two cake celebrations. A cake in the morning with the players and another cake in the afternoon with his family.
Didin arrived in Frankfurt in 2004, after former coach Gordie Herbert left to coach in Paris. Didin took on a difficult task, overtaking the reigns of a championship basketball team. His job didn´t get any easier as key players Robert Garrett and Mario Kasun left for new opportunities. He overtook a team that had a lot of new faces to integrate. Didin is a coach, known for his motivation skills. "I show the players the realities of the game. We are working not only to win, but also to steadily improve the players." Didin says it is hard to evaluate now who has improved the most, but Didin is content that the team is always improving.
Didin has been a coach for 23 years. He has had a superb coaching record to show with 486 wins and 171 loses. His record in European competition hasn´t been too shabby either, as he boasts a record of 107-48. Didin has been coaching successfully for so long that he knows the right ingredients for winning. "I believe in fate and destiny. You need to believe that you can win every game and that you can beat the best. That is the maximum and the rest is luck."
Didin has coached respected clubs like Fenerbahce, Ülker Istanbul, Hortas Ankaraand and Vip Rimini, just to name a few. He was voted coach of the year in 1999 and 2001. One of Didin´s specialities is developing and forming young players. This is a task, that he has adjusted well to in Frankfurt. With young players like King, Sljivancanin or Badiane, Didin is able to transform his wisdom and knowledge into their minds and bodies. Didin also has an eye for spotting new young talented players. "I get this feeling that a player could be good, just after seeing him play a few times. The walking style of a player can tell me what kind of player he will be."
Didin is a certified engineer. But his success and love for coaching have not made it necessary for him to use his engineering skills as a profession. Didin is a family-oriented man. He is married to Sibel, a former volleyball player. He has three kids, Burak (22), Basak (17) and Ahmet (6), who is always running around at games. Didin has adjusted well to Frankfurt. "Frankfurt is nice but I have not seen too much of the city yet. However, I like to go to the Champions bar.The fans are always friendly." Didin says life here is a little different to Turkey, because the fans are more emotional after a loss than in Germany.
Didin loves sports, especially soccer and tennis, and enjoys reading. He is a very gregarious and approachable person and often has a smile on his face. However, as soon as a game is in progress, he is all business and his gameface is in action. "Every action is important. That is why I am always giving so many tips to the players during a game. Bad offensive selections are the mistakes of the players and the coach."
If you see Didin on March 19th, don´t be afraid to approach him and wish him a happy birthday. It´s only his 50th birthday, just another typical day at the office.
Miles Schmidt-Scheuber reporting for the OPEL SKYLINERS
