Paternostro is a former Riders player

Leicester Riders have appointed former player Rob Paternostro as their player/coach for the coming season.

Paternostro, 35, played for the club in the 2006/2007 season and has had three spells with the Birmingham Bullets.

Paternostro was delighted with his appointment: "To be a head coach is something I've aspired to do.

"And to be given the opportunity by a club like Leicester, who I've had the fortune of playing for and I'm familiar with, is a wonderful thing."

He added: "There is a lot of work to be done between now and the start of the season, but I am excited to step up and take this challenge."

This will be Paternostro's first time as a BBL head coach but he has had coaching experience in this country and the United States.

Chairman Mark Ellis said: "We have a long history of giving our former players a chance to prove themselves as a coach."

Paternostro, a guard, has also played in Italy, France, Spain, Belgium and Greece and ranks in the top dozen players of all time in the BBL in assists.

He has an average of 5.2 assists per game and he also has a career average of just over 10 points per game.