Introduction
Vasily Nikolayevich Karasev (Russian: Василий Николаевич Карасев; born April 14, 1971) is a Russian former professional basketball player and coach. He was most recently the head coach of Zenit Saint Petersburg.
Professional playing career
For several years, Karasev was the starting point guard of the Russian League club CSKA Moscow, in the EuroLeague. He also led CSKA to the 1996 EuroLeague Final Four, where he was named to the EuroLeague All-Final Four Team. He was selected to the FIBA EuroStars team in the years 1997, 1998, and 1999. He is widely considered to have been one of the best European point guards of the 1990s.
National team playing career
Karasev was the starting point guard of the senior men's Russian national basketball team, between 1993 and 2003. With Russia's senior national team, Karasev won two EuroBasket medals, the silver medal at the EuroBasket 1993 and the bronze medal at the EuroBasket 1997. He also won two FIBA World Cup silver medals, one at the 1994 FIBA World Championship, and one at the 1998 FIBA World Championship.
At the 1998 FIBA World Championship, he was selected to the All-Tournament Team.
Coaching career
After he retired from playing professional basketball, Karasev began working as a basketball coach. He became the head coach of Triumph Lyubertsy (later renamed to Zenit St. Petersburg), in 2012.
Personal life
Vasily is the father of Sergey Karasev. Sergey has been a senior Russian national basketball team player, and has played with the pro clubs Triumph Lyubertsy, Canton Charge, Cleveland Cavaliers and Brooklyn Nets (NBA), and Zenit Saint Petersburg.