Vecchi left the post despite achieving gold at the 2011 FIBA Americas Championships in Colombia, after it was confirmed his contract would not be renewed this week.

The 45-year-old former youth team coach Tarallo led Brazil to bronze at the under-19 World Championships in Chile this year.

"Firstly, I would like to say thanks for the opportunity and to the leaders of the CBB for the trust they are placing in me and my work," Tarallo said.

"It's certainly a great challenge and an honour to work on developing a national team.

"I'm happy with the fact that I am at the head of the team, but much more for this project to be developed which is a continuation of the groundwork.

"I have the support of the players, managers and everyone involved with Brazilian basketball to conduct this work."

Brazilian great Hortência Marcari, the head of the Brazil Basketball Confederation (CBB) women's teams, said that Tarallo "is a coach who has experience in three world youth tournaments, has been assistant to the senior team and knows our line of work.

"Within this work with the foundation, he knows the new players who are emerging internationally and can help in the development cycle by [Rio] 2016.

"We are very grateful for the work done by Enio, but we had many meetings that led us to do a realignment to the cycle until 2016."

Brazil's women won the Olympic silver medals at Atlanta in 1996 and the bronze in Sydney four years later.

CBB President Carlos Nunes added that "we trust 100 per cent Tarallo, who now assumes the command with the goal of becoming among the world's best in London and in 2016."

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