ORLANDO -- The Orlando Magic have named Nate Tibbetts, Jesse Mermuys (MURR-miss), Dale Osbourne, Bret Brielmaier and Lionel Chalmers assistant coaches, President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman announced today. Per team policy, terms of the deals are not disclosed. They will serve on the coaching staff under Jamahl Mosley, who was named head coach of the Magic on July 11.
Tibbetts joins the Magic after spending the last eight seasons (2013-21) with the Portland Trail Blazers. After spending six seasons (2013-19) as an assistant coach, he spent his final two seasons (2019-21) as associate head coach. Before his time in Portland, Tibbetts spent two seasons (2011-13) as an assistant coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Prior to his tenure with the Cavaliers, Tibbetts served as head coach of the NBA Development League’s Tulsa 66ers for two seasons (2009-11). During that time, he guided the Oklahoma City Thunder’s D-League affiliate to a 64-41 (.610) record and two trips to the playoffs. Tibbetts was selected to lead the West Team in the 2011 D-League All-Star Game, after guiding Tulsa to a conference-best 24-10 record heading into the break. He was also selected to be the United States head coach in the 2011 Pan American Games, where he led the group of D-League players to a bronze medal, USA’s first medal since 1999. Tibbetts was also a member of the D-League’s Sioux Falls Skyforce coaching staff for four seasons (2005-09) and was promoted to head coach after his first two campaigns.
Tibbetts began his coaching career as an assistant coach at the University of Sioux Falls from 2001-05. He enjoyed a stellar collegiate playing career at the University of South Dakota and ranks second on the school’s all-time career lists in assists (678) and steals (215).
Mermuys brings 20 years of coaching experience at the high school, collegiate, NBA G League and NBA levels. He joins the Magic after spending the last two seasons (2019-21) as an assistant coach with Sacramento. Prior to joining the Kings, Mermuys spent three seasons (2016-19) as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers.
During the 2015-16 season, Mermuys was named head coach/assistant general manager of the Toronto Raptors’ NBA G League affiliate, Raptors 905, leading them to a record of 23-27 in the team’s inaugural season. Before becoming head coach of Raptors 905, he served as an assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors for two seasons (2013-15) seasons. Mermuys was also the Raptors Summer League coach in Las Vegas in both 2014 and 2015. During the 2013-14 campaign, he was assistant coach and director of player development with the Houston Rockets, after spending the previous four seasons (2008-12) as a video coordinator, advance scout and assistant coach/advance scout for the Denver Nuggets.
A native of Tucson, AZ, Mermuys began his coaching career at Salpointe Catholic High School (Tucson), where he was the head freshman and varsity assistant coach from 2001-2003. He was then an assistant coach at Pima Community College in his hometown from 2003-04. Mermuys later served an assistant coach for Southern Utah in 2005-06, then became video coordinator at New Mexico State in August 2006. He was named director of basketball operations at his alma mater, the University of Arizona, in October 2006, where he worked until 2008.
In 2019, Mermuys became one of the first NBA assistant coaches to be selected as a USA Basketball Junior National Team minicamp court coach, working with the Men’s Junior National Team at the United States Olympic & Paralympic Training Center in Colorado.
Osbourne comes to the Magic after spending the last nine seasons (2012-21) as an assistant coach with Portland.
Prior to joining the Trail Blazers, Osbourne spent parts of three seasons as an assistant coach with the Tulsa 66ers, the Oklahoma City Thunder’s NBA Development League team, before being promoted to head coach in December 2011. There he caught the eye of USA Basketball, who selected him as an assistant coach for the 2011 Pan American Games. The United States would medal there for the first time since 1999.
Osbourne has also been an assistant coach with the D-League’s Utah Flash and Austin Toros, in addition to coaching tenures in the WNBA, CBA and USBL. In seven years as an assistant coach at the University of South Alabama, Osbourne helped guide his alma mater to a pair of Sun Belt Conference titles.
Brielmaier joins the Magic after spending the 2020-21 campaign as head coach of the Long Island Nets of the NBA G League. In his lone season, he led the Nets to a 7-8 record.
Prior to Long Island, Brielmaier spent four seasons (2016-20) as an assistant coach with the Brooklyn Nets. He spent the previous three seasons (2013-16) in the same capacity with the Cleveland Cavaliers and was a member of the coaching staff of the 2016 NBA Champions.
Brielmaier began his coaching career in San Antonio, spending four seasons (2009-13) with the Spurs. He started as a player development assistant, before becoming the team’s video coordinator for his final three seasons (2010-13).
A native of Mankato, MN, Brielmaier played collegiately at the University of Arizona, under the direction of Hall of Fame head coach Lute Olsen. He was a member of four NCAA Tournament teams before earning his first coaching job as an undergraduate assistant coach under Arizona interim head coach Russ Pennell during the 2008-09 season.
Chalmers begins his fifth season with the Orlando Magic. He spent the last two seasons (2019-21) as associate coach/player development. Chalmers began his coaching career in 2017-18 with the Magic as a video coordinator.
Chalmers was originally selected by the L.A. Clippers in the second round (33rd overall) of the 2004 NBA Draft. He played in 36 games with the Clippers during the 2004-05 campaign. Chalmers went on to play professionally for 11 seasons, including stops in Greece, Spain, Italy, Russia, Turkey, Bulgaria and France, and was a member of five championship teams. During the 2008-09 season, he led the Russian Basketball Super League in scoring, averaging 21.4 ppg.
Chalmers played in 123 career games (99 starts) at Xavier University from 2000-04, averaging 12.7 ppg., 3.3 apg., 2.9 rpg. and 1.25 stlpg. in 31.7 minpg. As a senior (2003-04), he averaged 16.6 ppg. and helped the Musketeers reach the Elite Eight during the 2004 NCAA Tournament. Chalmers was inducted into the Xavier Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015.
A native of Albany, N.Y., Chalmers earned his bachelor’s degree in organizational communications from Xavier University. He and his wife, Juenethia, have two daughters, Londyn and Giuliana, and a son, Leo.