Brian Goorjian

Early career

Goorjian was born in Glendale, California, and is of Armenian descent. He played on the basketball team at Crescenta Valley High School in La Crescenta, California, and was coached by his father, Ed. Goorjian's younger brothers, Kevin and Greg, also played basketball at Crescenta Valley. He played college basketball for the Pepperdine Waves.

Goorjian first arrived in Australia in 1977 to play for the Melbourne Tigers under head coach Lindsay Gaze. He served as the inaugural captain of the Tigers in their first National Basketball League (NBL) season in 1984.

Coaching career

Ballarat Miners (1986–1987)

Goorjian served as the inaugural head coach of the Ballarat Miners in the South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL) in 1986. He went on to guide the Miners to the SEABL South Conference championship in 1987.

Eastside Spectres (1988–1991)

Goorjian's first NBL head coaching job came in 1988 when he coached the Eastside Spectres. The team missed the finals in Goorjian's first two seasons. In 1990, the Spectres bowed out in the semi-finals and the next year they went one better by making the Grand Final for only the second time in the club's history. They lost this final to the defending champion Perth Wildcats. The Spectres merged with the Southern Melbourne Saints during the 1992 offseason to form the South East Melbourne Magic with Goorjian named as the new Magic coach.

South East Melbourne Magic (1992–1998)

Goorjian won the first of his six championships in 1992 against the Melbourne Tigers and was named the Lindsay Gaze Coach of the Year. Three consecutive semi-final losses were followed by a second championship and another Coach of the Year award in 1996 when they again defeated the Tigers. Two Grand Final losses were to follow to the Tigers in 1997 and the Adelaide 36ers in 1998.

Following the loss to the 36ers, Goorjian had another change of team by merger when the Magic merged with cross-town rivals the North Melbourne Giants to form the Victoria Titans.

Victoria Titans (1998–2002)

Goorjian lost another two Grand Finals in his first two seasons as coach for the Titans. The Titans lost 2–1 to defending champions Adelaide in 1998–99 before being swept 2–0 by the Perth Wildcats in 1999–2000. At the end of the 2001–02 season, the financially struggling Victoria Titans went into administration and were sold to new owners associated with the former North Melbourne Giants, who controversially fired Goorjian.

Sydney Kings (2002–2008)

The Sydney Kings hired Goorjian after the 2001–02 season to replace Brett Brown. Goorjian led the Kings to three consecutive NBL championships from 2003 to 2005. Goorjian coached Sydney to five Grand Final series in six years, despite being forced to constantly re-build the team after each season. He won his fifth NBL Coach of the Year award as the Kings went 27–3 during the 2007–08 regular season. However, they were unable to turn this success into a fourth championship, going down narrowly to the Melbourne Tigers.

South Dragons (2008–2009)

On April 1, 2008, Goorjian signed a three-year contract with new Melbourne club South Dragons. Goorjian led the Dragons to the 2008–09 NBL title in his first season with them. He won his sixth Coach of the Year award with the Dragons in 2009. The Dragons folded at the end of the season despite their title win, prompting Goorjian to seek a position overseas.

Dongguan Leopards (2009–2015)

Goorjian served as the head coach of the Dongguan Leopards in the CBA from 2009 to 2015.

Guangdong Tigers (2015–2016)

Goorjian became associate coach of the Guangdong Southern Tigers in 2015.

Shanghai Sharks (2016–2018)

Goorjian served as special advisor of the Shanghai Sharks between 2016 and 2018.

Xinjiang Flying Tigers (2018–2019)

Goorijan served as an assistant coach with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers in the 2018–19 CBA season.

Illawarra Hawks (2020–2022)

On 23 June 2020, returned to Australia and signed with Illawarra Hawks of the NBL as their new head coach. He elected to not take up his third-year option with the Hawks in May 2022, instead moving to the role of special advisor for basketball operations.

Bay Area Dragons (2022–2023)

Goorijan served as head coach of the Bay Area Dragons during the 2022–23 PBA Commissioner's Cup.

Return to Sydney (2024–present)

On 6 March 2024, Goorijan signed a three-year deal to return as head coach of the Sydney Kings. He coached his 850th NBL game in January 2025.

National team career

In late 2001, Goorjian was appointed head coach of the Australia men's national basketball team, becoming the first foreign-born coach in the team's history. He guided the Boomers to Olympic campaigns in Athens in 2004 and Beijing in 2008, a World Cup in 2006 and a gold Commonwealth Games medal in Melbourne in the same year. He stepped down in 2008.

In November 2020, Goorjian returned as Boomers head coach. In 2021, at the 2020 Summer Olympics, the team won the bronze medal which was Australia's first ever medal in Olympic men's basketball. He stepped down as head coach following the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Coaching profile

Having won 511 games at a winning percentage of 70% Goorjian's record exceeds that of Australian coaching legends in the other major professional leagues including Kevin Sheedy (AFL – 365), Allan Jeans (AFL – 358), Tom Hafey (AFL – 336), David Parkin (AFL – 306), Wayne Bennett (NRL – 294 wins) and Tim Sheens (NRL – 235). In 2003 the NBL Hall of Fame selection committee voted Goorjian the best coach of the first 25 years of the National Basketball League. In one of the notable statistics in sport, Goorjian-coached teams finished no worse than the semi-finals every year from 1990 to 2009. He has also coached teams to a record 12 grand finals and won 'Coach of the Year' on six occasions.

Goorjian is also known for his intense coaching style (contrasting the laid back style of his early mentor Lindsay Gaze). His former assistant coach Bill Tomlinson says the detail he paid to defence was notable, as was the emphasis on strength and conditioning which often made Goorjian coached teams the fittest in the league. He said he sat down for his first six games in 1988, which he lost, and has stood during games ever since.

On October 10, 2013, Goorjian was named the coach of the Sydney Kings 25th Anniversary Team.

Coaching record

NBL

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Personal life

Goorjian is an Australian citizen. He has a daughter with his wife, Amanda.

References

References

1. "Brian Goorjian".
2. (August 29, 2002). "Spreading the Goorjian seed".
3. link. (2009-09-30 celebrityspeakers.com)
4. "A rivalry renewed? Hmm, not really".
5. (8 August 2021). "Ballarat the stepping stone for Goorjian". www.thecourier.com.au.
6. "FROM THE VAULT: SEABL REMEMBERS THE BALLARAT MINERS DYNASTY". Australiabasket.com.
7. [http://www.theage.com.au/news/Basketball/Why-Goorjian-is-king-of-the-court/2005/03/18/1111086011723.html Why Goorjian is king of the court] The Age, March 19, 2005
8. link. (March 28, 2008)
9. [http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,23465256-23769,00.html Goorj completes Dragons move] foxsports.com.au April 1, 2008
10. (23 June 2020). "Hawks sign master coach Brian Goorjian after tumultuous start to year".
11. (4 May 2022). "Jackomas takes over Hawks reigns from mentor Goorjian".
12. (7 October 2022). "Dragons' Goorjian eager to face Ginebra's Cone". ESPN.com.
13. (6 March 2024). "Kings appoint club legend Brian Goorjian as head coach".
14. (8 January 2025). "Goorjian chalks up 850 combined NBL games". Sydney Kings {{!}} Official NBL Website.
15. (18 September 2024). "Brian Goorjian Bids Farewell". www.australia.basketball.
16. (13 November 2020). "Brian Goorjian appointed Australian Boomers head coach". Basketball Australia.
17. (7 August 2024). "Brian Goorjian steps down as Boomers coach: Top candidates to lead Australian men's basketball team {{!}} Sporting News Australia". www.sportingnews.com.
18. "BRIAN GOORJIAN Australia's most successful ever Coach".
19. [http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22857837-10914,00.html That winning feeling for long time coach Brian Goorjian]
20. link. (March 29, 2008 The Canberra Times, September 2006)
21. [http://www.sydneykings.com/article/id/1a9gx1lqcclva1n2ka26eksxng MightyMite Sydney Kings announce 25th Anniversary Team] {{webarchive. link. (2013-10-13)