HENRY Mwinuka has resigned his position as the head coach of BK Basketball National League champions Patriots after five years in the job.

The development was confirmed to Saturday Sport by Brian Kirungi, the club’s president.

The surprise resignation comes just days after he guided the club to the second and final round of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) Qualifiers where they topped Group D in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, last week.

Mwinuka, who was appointed in December 2015, steps down after winning three championships in four years – and two in a row – with the club among several other achievements.

The Tanzania-born tactician is credited with ending the dominance of Espoir basketball club after the Nyamirambo-based outfit had clinched four successive league titles between 2012 and 2015.

Speaking to this publication on Friday, Patriots president Kirungi said, "Henry will forever be part of our history. We thank him for his services and wish him the best in the next challenge.”

"We have started talks with different candidates for the head coach job, we will be announcing his replacement on Tuesday, October 29.”

Mwinuka’s departure confirmed month-long speculations that linked him with a move to Patriots’ bitter rivals, Rwanda Energy Group, whom they beat twice in the 2018 and 2019 playoff finals.

"I have decided to resign my duties at Patriots so I can go for a new challenge. I am indebted to the club management and players with whom we won almost everything for four years.”

He further confirmed: "I and REG have finalised talks. I will be signing next week after working out all details of the contract.”

Before joining Patriots four years ago, Mwinuka served as assistant coach of the Tanzania national team as well as head coach with Tanzanian side Savio BBC, and Kampala International University (KIU) basketball team.

editor@newtimesrwanda.com