Mihai Popa

Mihai Popa was born in Cluj-Napoca and transitioned into coaching in 2012 following a successful career as a professional point guard. He spent a decade within the basketball program at Gaz Metan Mediaș, starting as an assistant coach under Marcel Țenter before taking the reins as Head Coach in 2014, establishing a reputation for structural stability and domestic talent development.

In 2021, he was appointed Head Coach of the newly promoted CSM Petrolul Ploiești, successfully transforming the roster into a highly disciplined and competitive organization within the top-tier Liga Națională (LNBM).

Alongside his extensive club career, Popa has been a vital asset to the Romanian Basketball Federation, accumulating significant international experience. He has served as an Assistant Coach across key age groups, including the Romania U18 and U20 national selections—collaborating with Mihai Silvășan at the 2018 FIBA U20 European Championship (Division A) in Chemnitz—before progressing to the Romania Senior National Team technical staff.

After a second tenure as Head Coach for CSM BBA Petrolul Ploiești starting in August 2025, he returned to the technical bench of the reigning champions, U-BT Cluj-Napoca, ahead of the current competitive season to serve as Assistant Coach for both domestic fixtures, Adriatic League and elite BKT EuroCup campaigns.