Evgeny Pashutin's 100 Wins

Evgeny Pashutin became the second coach in VTB United League history on Sunday (after Rimas Kurtinaitis) to 100 games. VTB-League.com takes a look back at his career, highlighting his most memorable wins.

The former Russian national team point guard hit the ground running as a coach. After four years as an assistant under Dusan Ivkovic and Ettore Messina at CSKA (2004-2008), Pashutin was named head coach of Spartak St. Petersburg for the 2008-09 season. One year later, he returned to Russia's biggest club, this time as head coach.

First Win

Pashutin's first game in the league drew special attention, though it had little to do with CSKA's new head coach. The Army Men hosted archrivals Zalgiris in Moscow on opening night of the VTB United League's debut season. Zalgiris and CSKA legends Arvydas Sabonis and Vladimir Tkachenko were in attendance for the game, which included a festive opening ceremony...

The game did not disappoint, though CSKA was able to pull away in the 4th quarter for a comfortable 90-74 win. Pashutin got started with a win.

Championship Win

Pashutin's debut season in the VTB United League was very successful. The Army Men went 5-1 during the regular season, with the only loss coming to Zalgiris in Kaunas.

CSKA kept winning at the Final Four in Kaunas, knocking off Khimki in the semifinals. Pashutin and co. went on to capture the league's first championship, defeating UNICS in the title game (66-55).

First Kazan Win

As fate would have it, Pashutin took over as UNICS head coach in 2010. His debut game in charge of the White-Greens was another success as Kazan rolled over Minsk-2006, 83-54.

First Win vs. CSKA

Not surprisingly, games vs. his former team had extra significance for Pashutin. UNICS suffered a defeat in its first meeting with CSKA during the 2010-11 season, but exacted revenge in Moscow, 67-60.

The rivalry with CSKA would play a significant role in Pashutin's career in the years ahead... As for the 2010-11 campaign, Pashutin was unable to defend his title. UNICS lost to Khimki in the semifinals of the Kazan Final Four, settling for 3rd place. The team, however, did win the Eurocup that spring, earning an automatic berth in the Euroleague for the 2011-12 season.

Winning Streak

Pashutin's win total got a big boost during the 2011-12 season. UNICS went 14-2 during the regular season, including a 10-game winning streak. The most impressive victory came against Zalgiris, with Kazan blowing out the Lithuanian powerhouse 79-52. With Pashutin in charge, UNICS was one of the top contenders for the title.

Most Dramatic Win

The 2012 Final Four semifinals between UNICS and Lokomotiv-Kuban went down in history as the Russian Thriller. Leading by two points with 25 seconds to play, Kazan star Henry Domercant missed two free throws. On the ensuing Loko possession, K.C. Rivers knocked down Loko's 15th '3' of the game, giving the Railwaymen an 86-85 lead with 6.4 seconds remaining.

Pashutin called a timeout, then Krasnodar's Bozhidar Malkovic burned his final timeout. Needing a basket to advance to the final, Domercant made amends for his free-throw woes, knocking down a mid-range jumpers with two seconds on the clock. Unable to call timeout, Loko couldn't advance the ball and Rivers's desperation heave was off the mark (87-86).

Once again, Pashutin would be on the move in a few short months, taking over as head coach in Krasnodar. Meanwhile, his Kazan club fell to CSKA in the 2012 championship game.

First Krasnodar Win

Krasnodar opened the 2012-13 season with losses to Zalgiris and Nymburk. Coincidentally, Pashutin's first win at his new club once again came against Belarus's Tsmoki-Minsk (89-74). The Railwaymen would go on to win five straight in the league.

Clutch Win

While Krasnodar struggled with consistency throughout the season, the team entered the postseason in excellent shape. Lokomotiv cruised in the first round, sweeping Donetsk, to set up a quarterfinal showdown with UNICS. The Railwaymen won the first two games on the road, before UNICS pulled one back to set up a big Game 4 in Krasnodar. Early on, it looked like the series was headed back to Kazan for a decisive Game 5 as visiting UNICS led by 13 at halftime.

Pashutin, however, had other plans. Coming out of the break, Lokomotiv applied stifling full-court pressure and upped the tempo, storming back for a series-clinching 68-64 win.

Kuban enjoyed a terrific season with Pashutin in charge. The club rolled over Zalgiris in the semifinals and played CSKA tough in the finals, nearly forcing Game 5 after trailing 2-0 in the series. Coupled with a Eurocup championship (and Lokomotiv's first entry in the Euroleague), the 2012-13 season wildly exceeded expectations in Krasnodar.

Toughest Win

Lokomotiv-Kuban debuted in the Euroleague in 2013, but struggled to play to its full potential in the VTB United League, finishing 3rd in its group. As a result, Lokomotiv-Kuban met reigning champs CSKA in the playoff quarterfinals after getting through Krasny Oktyabr in the first round.

Lokomotiv's win in Game 1 remains one of the most impressive of Pashutin's coaching career. The Army Men started the game on fire, racing to a 22-point lead in the 2nd quarter. Loko, however, started to turn things around after a Pashutin timeout, cutting the deficit to 11 at halftime. Trailing by six at the end of the 3rd quarter, Krasnodar completed a spectacular comeback in the final period, stunning CSKA, 87-83, to take a 1-0 series lead.

Lokomotiv also won Game 2, crushing the Army Men by 15 in Moscow. With Games 3 and 4 in Krasnodar, Kuban appeared to be on the verge of eliminating the reigning champions... Instead, CSKA came storming back to win three straight and send Lokomotiv packing. Several months later, Pashutin found himself without a club to start the 2014-15 season.

Back In Kazan

Highly regarded throughout the league, Pashutin didn't remain out of work for long. He returned to UNICS in November 2014, taking over for Argiris Pedoulakis. A few days after being named head coach, Pashutin faced VEF. UNICS had lost two in a row entering the contest, but looked re-energized with a new coach on the sidelines, picking up a 64-52 win. Pashutin was back to winning in the league.

Biggest Win

Kazan didn't do anything spectacular in 2014-15, finishing the season without a trophy, but the current campaign looks far more promising. Given time to fine-tune his roster and prepare the team during the preseason, Pashutin has guided UNICS to a 19-2 start in the league and 2nd place in the standings with less than two months remaining in the regular season.

Pashutin also enjoyed his biggest margin of victory in the league this season. Leading by 15 over Bisons at halftime on February 20, Kazan outscored the Finns 36-6 in the 3rd quarter, led by an 18-point outburst from Keith Langford. UNICS went on to win by 54 (110-56) and set a new league record with its 30-point advantage in the 3rd quarter.

100th Win

Both Rimas Kurtainitis and Evgeny Pashutin notched wins #100 against Vita. Khimki helped Kurtinaitis reach his milestone on February 1, knocking off Vita in Tbilisi. Pashutin made it to 100 victories on February 28, defeating the Georgians at home (81-57). The Russian coach has already had an illustrious career, but the biggest wins of his career are likely still ahead. 

Biggest-winning coaches in the VTB United League