asketball Australia has announced that Brett Brown has been selected as Head Coach of Australia’s men’s basketball team, the Boomers, through to London 2012.
Brown, a 48-year old American, has been an Assistant Coach with the famed San Antonio Spurs in the NBA for the past six years and has extensive experience with the Boomers program and the National Basketball League.
He recorded 132 games as an Assistant Coach of the Boomers between 1995 and 2003 including representation at the 1998 FIBA World Championship and the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games.
Formerly an assistant coach with Lindsay Gaze’s Melbourne Tigers, Brown was Head Coach of the North Melbourne Giants from 1993 to 1998 and the Sydney Kings from 2000 to 2002. He has been named NBL Coach of the Month on five occasions and was the NBL’s Coach of the Year in 1994 when he led the Giants to an NBL Championship victory over the Adelaide 36ers.
“The Basketball Australia Board is extremely proud of the performance of the Boomers in Beijing and recognizes the positive building blocks that have been put in place by Brian Goorjian for the Boomers’ future,” BA Chairman David Thodey said.
“But as we have done in the past we opened the door to the possibility of change after two Olympic cycles and with our sport moving forward in an exciting new direction we decided to utilize Brett Brown’s fresh energy and new ideas.
“We hope that he will propel the Boomers to great success on the international stage.”
Former San Antonio Spur Andrew Gaze, who was on the three-man selection panel, said Brown's global connections and focus were a big factor in his appointment.
"I think his vision of how to incorporate his role with the Spurs and the NBA to assist in the development of our players and provide international opportunities with the summer league camps that they're involved in, is one that is great for their development but I think is also exciting for the players to be involved in," Gaze said.
Goorjian, who was Head Coach of the Boomers for 120 games between 2002 and 2008 (77 wins – 43 losses), including representation at the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games and the 2006 FIBA World Championship, has a long history with Brown.
“I’ve known Brett for a long time. He’s a great coach and a good person and I wish him every success with the national program,” Goorjian said.
Goorjian’s endorsement mirrors that of Boomers Captain Matt Nielsen and star player Andrew Bogut as well as legendary Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich.
“Brett Brown has been paramount to the success of the San Antonio Spurs over the past decade and I am confident his technical and people skills will be well received by the team and organization. He is both a top-notch coach and person,” Popovich said from Texas in the United States.
“I spent three years with Brett at the Sydney Kings and I’m very happy for him to get this opportunity to show himself again to the Australian people and I’m excited to work with him.” Nielsen said on the line from Valencia in Spain.
“I am eager to start working with Brett and I hope we can all continue to get better as a basketball nation and hopefully one day get that elusive medal at an Olympic Games,” Bogut said from Milwaukee in the United States.
Brown will continue working with the San Antonio Spurs as the NBA season (October to June) does not conflict with the international basketball season (July to September).
After opportunities for Australia to play in the NBA Summer League and with invitations to tournaments in Argentina and Brazil, Brown’s first major test will come in August when the Boomers take on New Zealand at the 2009 FIBA Oceania Championship.
Brown is married to an Australian, Anna, with three children, Julia, Laura and Sam.