Basketball (Pro B): Alexandre Ménard, the architect of Boulazac's title

The Boulazac coach led his team to the title, their first in the professional league, and to promotion in three seasons. And, personally, he was voted best Pro B coach of the year, a "deserved reward" for his peers.

"Chalaalalalala, oh Boulazac!" Champion's T-shirt on his back, in the center of the Palio , Alexandre Ménard led the coronation chant on Tuesday, May 13. The Boulazac coach could let his joy burst forth after months of work.

Enough to reveal his sense of rhythm, in addition to his art of the punchline and his taste for discussion and exchange. Not to mention an immoderate passion for basketball, in all its forms. Alexandre Ménard can talk about the orange ball for hours—nights, some say—as long as he can find pleasure in it. With his friends, his colleagues, young players, journalists, fans, whatever. Always with a smile on his face.

Although he never pursued a career as a professional player, the 48-year-old Cholet native still possesses a knack for the game. He also has a desire to pass it on, just as he did in his first professional career as a teacher. In three full seasons ( he replaced Nikola Antic on March 17, 2022) at the helm of Boulazac, he shaped the team to his liking, leading it to promotion, according to his principles of play. "He has a very modern vision of basketball," emphasizes Claude Bergeaud, who contributed to his arrival at the BBD.

"He's extremely curious and serious, without taking himself seriously. But from dawn to dusk, he's hooked on basketball," says Vincent Loriot, sporting director of the Le Mans club, who has become a close friend. Ménard made his debut in the pros in Sarthe (after a stint at Challans), first as an assistant to JD Jackson.

"He trained me as a coach," recalls the current Antibes coach. "He was a trainer, and we had a good feeling. There's a relationship of trust and friendship. He's always very open and humble." The two men shared the MSB bench for six seasons, also dabbling in the Euroleague. "He was a video expert before his time, when we didn't have the software we have now. He was solid and supportive."

Meanwhile, Vincent Loriot went from scout to sporting director at Le Mans. "We became friends very quickly. He's hyperactive, a workaholic. He imposes himself and demands a very high level of standards from others," he explains. The two share jogging sessions—you have to expend that energy—but also evenings out. "He's an epicurean, a fine gourmet who loves conviviality," continues Loriot, who recalls a "Leaders Cup in Roanne where we were perhaps unreasonable."

"He's not crazy, but he's wholehearted at work, with his family, and with his friends."

Mickaël Hay also remembers being able to "stay up until very late." The Pau coach and Alexandre Ménard met in Angers when they were students. "He hasn't changed, maybe he's bleached a little," he smiles. But he's "a hard worker, honest and loyal. We had some epic confrontations, but with respect. We often called each other after matches." It's no coincidence that the Pau native asked the Boulazac native to be his assistant this summer with the French U20 team .

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Basketball (Pro B): Boulazac, liberated, delivered

Boulazac Basket Dordogne lifted the Pro B championship trophy on Tuesday, May 13, after its victory against Chartres (91-82). Its first professional title