Tony Garbelotto is sacked by Scottish Basketball and resigns as GB head coach

Tony Garbelotto (right) was head coach of Glasgow Rocks, Scotland and GB men's teams

Scottish Basketball has sacked men's national coach Tony Garbelotto six weeks before the start of the Commonwealth Games.

The 49-year-old has subsequently resigned as Great Britain's national coach, with GB Basketball citing "personal reasons".

Garbelotto has also been coach with Glasgow Rocks in the British Basketball League since last year.

Basketballscotland has not given a reason for the departure.

"It is with regret that we have had to terminate Tony's contract with the men's national team," chief executive Kevin Pringle said in a website statement.

"With the Commonwealth Games now fast-approaching, our focus turns to the recruitment of a new head coach to give them as much time as possible with the squad before April's Games."

However, he stressed that the Englishman would have no further involvement in the men's national team programme.

Garbelotto, a former England assistant, arrived in Scotland after a three-year spell coaching Saigon Heat and the Vietnam national team.

British Basketball performance director Mark Clark said: "All at British Basketball wish Tony well for the future and thank him for the work he has undertaken with the GB men.

"With the next FIBA World Cup qualifying window fast approaching, the current assistant coach of the GB men's national team, Alberto Lorenzo, will act as head coach for the upcoming FIBA World Cup qualification games in February."

After two games, GB men lie bottom of a qualifying group led by Greece and also containing Israel and Estonia.

Garbelotto's Rocks sit third behind Leicester Raiders and Esh Group Eagles Newcstle in this season's BBL Championship.

Scotland are due to play in a match against a Rocks select in a warm-up to the British Basketball League final at Emirates Arena, Glasgow, on 4 March.