BIO

Mindaugas Janiska is a highly accomplished basketball professional with over 30 years of experience as a player, coach, and scout. Based in Lithuania, he has made significant contributions to the sport at both national and international levels. As a FIBA-licensed coach, Janiska brings a deep understanding of the global basketball landscape, specializing in player development, strategic innovation, and high-performance team systems.

Janiska’s coaching career spans over five years at the professional level, during which he has worked with elite athletes and teams across Europe and beyond. His background as a former professional player—having competed in U.S. collegiate basketball and European leagues—provides him with unique insights into in-game dynamics, player psychology, and performance under pressure. His tenure in Lithuania, one of the world’s most competitive basketball nations, has further refined his ability to cultivate championship-level talent and culture.

Beyond coaching, Janiska is an experienced scout with years of expertise in talent evaluation and game analysis. Proficient in the Synergy Sports platform, he excels at breaking down film, identifying opponent tendencies, and creating detailed scouting reports to inform strategic decisions. His analytical approach complements his coaching philosophy, enabling him to contribute to roster construction, opponent preparation, and long-term program growth.

Janiska is also the founder of Sublime Basketball, an elite training brand dedicated to player development and global outreach.

Through digital platforms such as YouTube and Instagram, Coach Janiska produces instructional content that engages a worldwide audience, demonstrating his commitment to expanding the game’s reach. His entrepreneurial mindset is evident in his ability to manage operations, budgets, and community engagement while fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

Professional Coaching Milestones:

• NKL (Lithuania): Since 2019, Janiska has served as a Head Coach for several teams competing in the National Basketball League (NKL), the second-tier professional league in Lithuania.

• National Teams (Bahrain): In 2021, he served as the Head Coach for the Bahrain U18 Men’s National Team and as an Assistant Coach for the Bahrain Senior Men’s National Team.

• International Academies: Between 2022 and 2023, he held the position of Head Coach at the „Green Fighters“ Lithuanian Basketball Academy in Shanghai, China.

• LKL (Lithuania): He later joined the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) club, BC Neptunas Klaipėda, serving as an Assistant Coach, Skill Development Coach, and Player Scout.

• World University Games: In 2025, Janiska reached a significant milestone as an Assistant Coach for the Lithuania Men’s Student Team at the World University Games in Germany, where the team earned a bronze medal.

Current Role: For the 2025–2026 season, Coach Janiska is an Assistant Coach for BC Sabah Baku in Azerbaijan. The team competes at the highest level in the Azerbaijan Basketball League and the Basketball Champions League (BCL).