Overview
- Sport Bild reported that Science City Jena has appointed Steve Esterkamp as its new head coach and that he will replace Mike Taylor.
- The report says Esterkamp signed a three-year deal structured to cover both first- and second-division play and that Jena paid a small fee to Eisbären Bremerhaven to end his existing contract.
- Mike Taylor left after serving as a short-term coach who secured the club’s top-flight status, creating the vacancy Esterkamp will now fill.
- Esterkamp is a 45-year-old American who has played and coached in Germany since 2003 with roles in Gotha, Paderborn, Ulm, Vechta, Würzburg and most recently Bremerhaven.
- Jena hopes his reputation for ‘hard team basketball,’ clear leadership and local ties will lift performance and improve the club’s chances of avoiding relegation, with roster and season planning now expected to follow.