In a major shakeup ahead of the Basketball Bundesliga playoffs, Ratiopharm Ulm’s longtime sports director Thorsten Leibenath is departing the club. The 48-year-old will leave Ulm at the end of the season to take over as managing director at FC Bayern Munich, replacing Dragan Tarlac, who is stepping down after just two years due to personal reasons.
Leibenath’s 15-year tenure at Ulm has been transformative. He spent eight years as head coach before moving into an executive role. Under his leadership, Ulm developed into one of Germany’s most successful basketball clubs. The team won its first German championship in 2023, along with three runner-up finishes (2012 and 2016 as coach, 2025 as sports director). Additionally, Ulm reached the DBB-Pokal final three times (2012, 2013, and 2024) during his era.
Known as a strong advocate for young talent, Leibenath helped several players from Ulm make the jump to the NBA, most recently Noa Essengue, Juan Nunez, and Pacôme Dadiet. His departure marks the end of an era for the club.
Bayern Munich, looking to rebound from a disappointing EuroLeague campaign, is counting on Leibenath to drive domestic and international success. Club president Herbert Hainer praised him as “an excellent expert of the national and international basketball scene.” The club plans to release further details about his signing after the playoffs begin this week.
There is also speculation about a potential reunion with Anton Gavel, who led Ulm to the championship alongside Leibenath in 2023 as head coach. Gavel, currently coaching Bamberg, is reportedly a candidate to take over as Bayern’s head coach following the departure of veteran coach Svetislav Pesic after this season.