Jill Lorent leaves Leuven Bears after twenty years: “I am grateful to the club for all the opportunities and am now looking forward to new challenges” (Leuven)
Jill Lorent (37) will leave Leuven Bears after this season. Eddy Casteels’ assistant coach was associated with the Flemish Brabant team for no less than 20 years. “I thank the club for the opportunities and look forward to new challenges,” says Lorent, who is also assistant national coach of the Belgian Cats.
The sporting staff of Leuven Bears will look completely different in the 2024-25 season. Coach Eddy Casteels will be replaced by Kristof Michiels after this campaign, and it has now also been announced that Jill Lorent will leave the club.
“I was associated with the club for twenty years. For the last six years I was assistant coach to Eddy Casteels and coach of the training team in the third division. We were able to give many young talents a chance there. This year we even finished second. I also learned a lot from coach Eddy (Casteels, ed.). Our story ends now. That’s a shame, but life goes on. I am especially grateful to the club for the opportunities I have been given,” said Jill Lorent.
The Casteels-Lorent duo is still the leader in Elite Silver with Leuven Bears after a fantastic series (8 out of 9). The team remains in the running for a place in the Belgian play-offs. “We are struggling with injuries to Codi Riley and Thibaut Vanderhaegen. That limits our rotation,” says Jill Lorent. “We resolved that well last week and we also hope for a win in the last home game against LWD Leeuwarden on Friday evening. If we do that, the play-offs will really be in our sights.” Next week Leuven Bears will play two more away games: Wednesday, May 1 to Yoast United Nijmegen and on May 3 to Bergen.
Olympics
New challenges are coming soon for Jill Lorent. Preparation with the Belgian Cats for the Olympic Games in Paris will start from mid-May. Jill Lorent is an assistant coach at the Cats under Rachid Meziane. Last year she was there when the Belgian Cats wrote Belgian basketball history in Ljubljana by winning gold at a European Championship for the first time.
At the Olympic qualifying tournament in the Sportpaleis, Jill Lorent also qualified with the Cats for the Olympic Games in Paris. “A few years ago I never thought I would experience an edition of the Games. When I was contacted for the Belgian Cats, I didn’t hesitate. A great selection, staff and support ensure that I experience unforgettable moments. Yes, experiencing the Olympic Games is a dream come true.”
