José RUIZ

Date of Birth: 05/10/1963

Place of Birth: Sahagun (Spain)

Club Team 2007-08: Lattes Montpellier (Women 3rd division team and Women U18 Team)

Career: PB Lambersart (France-Women 2nd Division, 1976-89), Bethune (France-Men 5th division, 1984-87), Douai BC (France-Men 5th division, 1987-89), Saint Quentin BB (France-U20 Team, 1989-91), Saint Quentin BB (France-Men Pro A, 1991-92), Stade Clermontois (France-LFB, 1993-97), Tarbes GB (France-LFB, 1998-00), ESB Villeneuve d’Ascq (France-LFB, 2000-01), Waïti Bordeaux (France-LFB, 2001-03), ES St Front de Pradoux (France-Regional League, 2003-04), Istres SBC (France-Women 2nd division, 2004-05), Lattes-Montpellier (France-LFB, 2005-07), Lattes Montpellier (Women 3rd division team and Women U18 Team, 2007-08)

International Career: African Championship for Women 2007 (Winner)

Mali have hired foreign coaches in the past but most have failed, or achieved only average results. Current National Team boss José Ruiz, a Spanish-born Frenchman, is different.
While he didn’t last a year in his first professional job at the helm of French PRO À side Saint-Quentin, he’s been moving from strength to strength since working in the women’s game for the past 10 years. After a good season with Montpellier in 2007, he decided to work with the club’s under-18 and under-20 teams. In addition to working with clubs, he accepted the chance to coach Mali’s National Team and last summer, he led the team to gold at the FIBA Africa Championship for Women. He has been president of the French Professional Coach Trade-Union since 2006.