Rwandan basketball powerhouse APR have secured the services of American tactician Bill Bayno as new assistant coach to head coach Mazen Trakh, Times Sport has learnt.

Bayno, who previously served as an assistant coach for the Detroit Pistons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), will provide technical backup to Trakh during APR’s forthcoming major competitions including the 2024 Rwanda Basketball League and Basketball Africa League (BAL).

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The 61-year-old also served as head coach of Loyola Marymount University from 2008 to 2009. He also served on the technical bench of Baptist College, as an assistant coach, and later worked with UMass basketball in Massachusetts, where he assumed the same coaching role from 1988 to 1995 under head coach John Calipari.

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Notably, he played a crucial role in the team's ascent to national prominence. During Bayno's tenure, the Minutemen made five consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament and reached the 1995 regional finals.

Bayno and Trakh, whose coaching careers both crossed at the Pistons, will now be looking to join hands in an effort to push APR to the BAL glory.