Brian Goorjian

{{Short description|American-Australian basketball coach and player}}

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Brian Goorjian

| image = Brian Goorjian.jpg

| caption = Goorjian as head coach of the Sydney Kings in 2005

| team = Sydney Kings

| position = Head coach

| league = NBL

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1953|7|28}}

| birth_place = Glendale, California

| nationality = American / Australian

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 3

| high_school = Crescenta Valley
(La Crescenta, California)

| college = Pepperdine (1973–1976)

| draft_year = 1976

| career_position = Guard

| career_number =

| career_start = 1977

| career_end = 1985

| coach_start = 1986

| coach_end =

| years1 = 1977–1985

| team1 = Melbourne Tigers

| cyears1 = 1986–1987

| cteam1 = Ballarat Miners

| cyears2 = 1988–1991

| cteam2 = Eastside Spectres

| cyears3 = 1992–1998

| cteam3 = South East Melbourne Magic

| cyears4 = 1998–2002

| cteam4 = Victoria Titans

| cyears5 = 2002–2008

| cteam5 = Sydney Kings

| cyears6 = 2008–2009

| cteam6 = South Dragons

| cyears7 = 2009–2015

| cteam7 = Dongguan Leopards

| cyears8 = 2015–2016

| cteam8 = Guangdong Southern Tigers (assistant)

| cyears9 = 2018–2019

| cteam9 = Xinjiang Flying Tigers (assistant)

| cyears10 = 2020–2022

| cteam10 = Illawarra Hawks

| cyears11 = 2022–2023

| cteam11 = Bay Area Dragons

| cyears12 = 2024–present

| cteam12 = Sydney Kings

| highlights =

As coach:

6× NBL champion (1992, 1996, 2003–2005, 2009)
6× NBL Coach of the Year (1992, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2008, 2009)

}}

Brian Warwick Goorjian (born 28 July 1953) is an American-Australian professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach of the Sydney Kings of the National Basketball League (NBL). In an NBL coaching career spanning over 20 years, Goorjian has won six championships: two with the South East Melbourne Magic, three with the Sydney Kings and one with the South Dragons. He previously served as the head coach of the Australia men's national basketball team from 2001 to 2008 and again from 2020 to 2024.

In 2009, Goorjian became the head coach of the Dongguan Leopards of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) and stayed with the team for six seasons. He served as an assistant coach for the Guangdong Southern Tigers from 2015 to 2016 and as a special advisor to the Shanghai Sharks from 2016 to 2018. Goorjian returned to coaching duties when he joined the Xinjiang Flying Tigers in 2018 as an assistant coach for one season. After spending a decade in the CBA, he returned to the NBL in 2020 as the head coach of the Illawarra Hawks. In 2024, he returned to the Kings as head coach, returning to the team he last coached in 2008.

Goorjian was inducted into the Australian Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.{{cite web |title=Brian Goorjian |url=https://australia.basketball/blog/hall_of_fame/brian-goorjian/ |website=Basketball Australia |access-date=23 June 2020 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200623142142/https://www.australia.basketball/blog/hall_of_fame/brian-goorjian/ |archive-date=23 June 2020}}

Early career

Goorjian was born in Glendale, California, and is of Armenian descent.{{cite web |title=Spreading the Goorjian seed |url=https://www.latimes.com/socal/glendale-news-press/news/tn-gnp-xpm-2002-08-29-export25129-story.html |website=Glendale News-Press |access-date=July 31, 2021 |date=August 29, 2002}} 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.[http://www.celebrityspeakers.com.au/brspeaker_bio.asp?Speaker_Index_Text=363 Brian Goorjian] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090930054845/http://www.celebrityspeakers.com.au/brspeaker_bio.asp?Speaker_Index_Text=363 |date=2009-09-30 }} celebrityspeakers.com He served as the inaugural captain of the Tigers in their first National Basketball League (NBL) season in 1984.{{cite web |last1=Nagy |first1=Boti |title=A rivalry renewed? Hmm, not really |url=http://botinagy.com/blog/36ers-shanghai-the-cup/ |website=Boti Nagy |access-date=31 July 2021}}

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.{{cite news |title=Ballarat the stepping stone for Goorjian |url=https://www.thecourier.com.au/story/7376122/ballarat-the-stepping-stone-for-goorjian/ |access-date=5 December 2024 |work=www.thecourier.com.au |date=8 August 2021 |language=en-au}} He went on to guide the Miners to the SEABL South Conference championship in 1987.{{cite web | url=http://www.australiabasket.com/Australia/news/490988/FROM-THE-VAULT:-SEABL-REMEMBERS-THE-BALLARAT-MINERS-DYNASTY | title=FROM THE VAULT: SEABL REMEMBERS THE BALLARAT MINERS DYNASTY | work=Australiabasket.com | accessdate=1 June 2017 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170606064702/https://www.australiabasket.com/Australia/news/490988/FROM-THE-VAULT:-SEABL-REMEMBERS-THE-BALLARAT-MINERS-DYNASTY | archivedate=6 June 2017}}

= 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.[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 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.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}

= 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.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}

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.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}

= 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.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}

= 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.[http://www.basketball.net.au/fs_newsitem.asp?id=77653&orgID=1&Oname=BA&O1c=8&O10c=3 Goorj named NBL's best] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080328233113/http://www.basketball.net.au/fs_newsitem.asp?id=77653&orgID=1&Oname=BA&O1c=8&O10c=3 |date=March 28, 2008 }} 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.[http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,23465256-23769,00.html Goorj completes Dragons move] foxsports.com.au April 1, 2008 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.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}

=Dongguan Leopards (2009–2015)=

Goorjian served as the head coach of the Dongguan Leopards in the CBA from 2009 to 2015.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}

=Guangdong Tigers (2015–2016)=

Goorjian became associate coach of the Guangdong Southern Tigers in 2015.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}

=Shanghai Sharks (2016–2018)=

Goorjian served as special advisor of the Shanghai Sharks between 2016 and 2018.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}

=Xinjiang Flying Tigers (2018–2019)=

Goorijan served as an assistant coach with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers in the 2018–19 CBA season.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}

=Illawarra Hawks (2020–2022)=

On 23 June 2020, returned to Australia and signed with Illawarra Hawks of the NBL as their new head coach.{{cite web |title=Hawks sign master coach Brian Goorjian after tumultuous start to year |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-23/brian-goorjian-announced-as-hawks-coach/12383312 |website=www.abc.net.au |language=en-AU |date=23 June 2020}} 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.{{cite web |title=Jackomas takes over Hawks reigns from mentor Goorjian |url=https://nbl.com.au/news/jackomas-takes-over-hawks-reigns-from-mentor-goorjian |website=nbl.com.au |date=4 May 2022 |access-date=4 May 2022}}

=Bay Area Dragons (2022–2023)=

Goorijan served as head coach of the Bay Area Dragons during the 2022–23 PBA Commissioner's Cup.{{cite news |last1=Ventura |first1=Sid |title=Dragons' Goorjian eager to face Ginebra's Cone |url=https://www.espn.com.au/basketball/pba/story/_/id/34747226/bay-area-dragons-coach-brian-goorjian-barangay-ginebra-coach-tim-cone-match-wits |access-date=13 March 2025 |work=ESPN.com |date=7 October 2022 |language=en}}

=Return to Sydney (2024–present)=

On 6 March 2024, Goorijan signed a three-year deal to return as head coach of the Sydney Kings.{{cite web |title=Kings appoint club legend Brian Goorjian as head coach |url=https://www.sydneykings.com/news/kings-appoint-club-legend-brian-goorjian-as-head-coach |website=SydneyKings.com.au |date=6 March 2024 |access-date=6 March 2024}} He coached his 850th NBL game in January 2025.{{cite news |title=Goorjian chalks up 850 combined NBL games |url=https://www.sydneykings.com/news/goorjian-chalks-up-850-combined-nbl-games |access-date=9 January 2025 |work=Sydney Kings {{!}} Official NBL Website |date=8 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.{{cn|date=March 2025}} 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.{{cite news |title=Brian Goorjian Bids Farewell |url=https://www.australia.basketball/news/4120044/brian-goorjian-bids-farewell |access-date=13 March 2025 |work=www.australia.basketball |date=18 September 2024 |language=en}}

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.{{Cite news|date=13 November 2020|title=Brian Goorjian appointed Australian Boomers head coach|work=Basketball Australia|url=https://australia.basketball/blog/2020/11/13/brian-goorjian-appointed-australian-boomers-head-coach/|access-date=17 November 2020}} He stepped down as head coach following the 2024 Summer Olympics.{{cite news |title=Brian Goorjian steps down as Boomers coach: Top candidates to lead Australian men's basketball team {{!}} Sporting News Australia |url=https://www.sportingnews.com/au/nba/news/brian-goorjian-boomers-coach-top-candidates-australia/d25d697e5156f96adde62d00 |access-date=13 March 2025 |work=www.sportingnews.com |date=7 August 2024 |language=en-au}}

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).{{cite web|url=http://www.icmi.com.au/Speaker/Sports/Brian_Goorjian/PDF |title=BRIAN GOORJIAN Australia's most successful ever Coach |access-date=2013-10-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070815210141/http://www.icmi.com.au/Speaker/Sports/Brian_Goorjian/PDF |archive-date=2007-08-15 }} 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.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}

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.[http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22857837-10914,00.html That winning feeling for long time coach Brian Goorjian] He said he sat down for his first six games in 1988, which he lost, and has stood during games ever since.[http://www.aussiebball.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=7657 The Life of Brian Goorjian] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080329231713/http://www.aussiebball.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=7657 |date=March 29, 2008 }} The Canberra Times, September 2006

On October 10, 2013, Goorjian was named the coach of the Sydney Kings 25th Anniversary Team.[http://www.sydneykings.com/article/id/1a9gx1lqcclva1n2ka26eksxng MightyMite Sydney Kings announce 25th Anniversary Team] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131013092402/http://www.sydneykings.com/article/id/1a9gx1lqcclva1n2ka26eksxng |date=2013-10-13 }}

Coaching record

=NBL=

| align="left" |Eastside Spectres

| align="left" |1988

|24||11||13||{{Winning percentage|11|13}}|| align="center" |8th ||—||—||—||—

| align="center" |Missed playoffs

|-class="sortbottom"

| align="left" |Eastside Spectres

| align="left" |1989

|24||14||10||{{Winning percentage|14|10}}|| align="center" |7th ||—||—||—||—

| align="center" |Missed playoffs

|-class="sortbottom"

| align="left" |Eastside Spectres

| align="left" |1990

|26||18||8||{{Winning percentage|18|8}}|| align="center" |2nd ||2||0||2||{{Winning percentage|0|2}}

| align="center" |Semi-finalists

|-class="sortbottom"

| align="left" |Eastside Spectres

| align="left" |1991

|26||17||9||{{Winning percentage|17|9}}|| align="center" |2nd ||5||3||2||{{Winning percentage|3|2}}

| align="center" |Grand Finalists

|-class="sortbottom"

| align="left" |South East Melbourne Magic

| align="left" |1992

|24||20||4||{{Winning percentage|20|4}}|| align="center" |1st ||7||6||1||{{Winning percentage|6|1}}

| align="center" |Champions

|-class="sortbottom"

| align="left" |South East Melbourne Magic

| align="left" |1993

|26||20||6||{{Winning percentage|20|6}}|| align="center" |2nd ||4||2||2||{{Winning percentage|2|2}}

| align="center" |Semi-finalists

|-class="sortbottom"

| align="left" |South East Melbourne Magic

| align="left" |1994

|26||19||7||{{Winning percentage|19|7}}|| align="center" |3rd ||3||1||2||{{Winning percentage|1|2}}

| align="center" |Semi-finalists

|-class="sortbottom"

| align="left" |South East Melbourne Magic

| align="left" |1995

|26||18||8||{{Winning percentage|18|8}}|| align="center" |3rd ||6||3||3||{{Winning percentage|3|3}}

| align="center" |Semi-finalists

|-class="sortbottom"

| align="left" |South East Melbourne Magic

| align="left" |1996

|26||19||7||{{Winning percentage|19|7}}|| align="center" |1st ||7||6||1||{{Winning percentage|6|1}}

| align="center" |Champions

|-class="sortbottom"

| align="left" |South East Melbourne Magic

| align="left" |1997

|30||22||8||{{Winning percentage|22|8}}|| align="center" |1st ||5||3||2||{{Winning percentage|3|2}}

| align="center" |Grand Finalists

|-class="sortbottom"

| align="left" |South East Melbourne Magic

| align="left" |1998

|30||26||4||{{Winning percentage|26|4}}|| align="center" |1st ||4||2||2||{{Winning percentage|2|2}}

| align="center" |Grand Finalists

|-class="sortbottom"

| align="left" |Victoria Titans

| align="left" |1998–99

|26||17||9||{{Winning percentage|17|9}}|| align="center" |2nd ||7||4||3||{{Winning percentage|4|3}}

| align="center" |Grand Finalists

|-class="sortbottom"

| align="left" |Victoria Titans

| align="left" |1999–2000

|28||20||8||{{Winning percentage|20|8}}|| align="center" |4th ||8||4||4||{{Winning percentage|4|4}}

| align="center" |Grand Finalists

|-class="sortbottom"

| align="left" |Victoria Titans

| align="left" |2000–01

|28||21||7||{{Winning percentage|21|7}}|| align="center" |4th ||6||3||3||{{Winning percentage|3|3}}

| align="center" |Semi-finalists

|-class="sortbottom"

| align="left" |Victoria Titans

| align="left" |2001–02

|30||20||10||{{Winning percentage|20|10}}|| align="center" |1st ||6||3||3||{{Winning percentage|3|3}}

| align="center" |Semi-finalists

|-class="sortbottom"

| align="left" |Sydney Kings

| align="left" |2002–03

|30||22||8||{{Winning percentage|22|8}}|| align="center" |1st ||8||6||2||{{Winning percentage|6|2}}

| align="center" |Champions

|-class="sortbottom"

| align="left" |Sydney Kings

| align="left" |2003–04

|35||27||8||{{Winning percentage|27|8}}|| align="center" |1st ||5||4||1||{{Winning percentage|2|1}}

| align="center" |Champions

|-class="sortbottom"

| align="left" |Sydney Kings

| align="left" |2004–05

|29||20||9||{{Winning percentage|20|9}}|| align="center" |1st ||8||6||2||{{Winning percentage|6|2}}

| align="center" |Champions

|-class="sortbottom"

| align="left" |Sydney Kings

| align="left" |2005–06

|32||25||7||{{Winning percentage|25|7}}|| align="center" |2nd ||5||3||2||{{Winning percentage|3|2}}

| align="center" |Grand Finalists

|-class="sortbottom"

| align="left" |Sydney Kings

| align="left" |2006–07

|33||20||13||{{Winning percentage|20|13}}|| align="center" |4th ||3||1||2||{{Winning percentage|1|2}}

| align="center" |Semi-finalists

|-class="sortbottom"

| align="left" |Sydney Kings

| align="left" |2007–08

|30||27||3||{{Winning percentage|27|3}}|| align="center" |1st ||8||4||4||{{Winning percentage|4|4}}

| align="center" |Grand Finalists

|-class="sortbottom"

| align="left" |South Dragons

| align="left" |2008–09

|30||22||8||{{Winning percentage|22|8}}|| align="center" |1st ||8||5||3||{{Winning percentage|5|3}}

| align="center" |Champions

| align="left" |Illawarra Hawks

| align="left" |2020–21

|36||20||16||{{Winning percentage|20|16}}|| align="center" |3rd ||3||1||2||{{Winning percentage|1|2}}

| align="center" |Semi-finalists

| align="left" |Illawarra Hawks

| align="left" |2021–22

|28||18||9||{{Winning percentage|18|9}}|| align="center" |2nd ||2||0||2||{{Winning percentage|0|2}}

| align="center" |Semi-finalists

|-class="sortbottom"

| align="left" |Career

| ||683||484||199||{{Winning percentage|484|199}}|| ||120||70||50||{{Winning percentage|70|50}}

Personal life

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

References

External links

[https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/brian-goorjian-1.html Brian Goorjian] – college basketball player statistics at Sports Reference
[https://web.archive.org/web/20120223233033/http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/inte/vide/inte/p/cp//langid/1/newsid/23488/roundid//inte.html Video interview with Brian Goorjian] @ fiba.com

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