Maz Trakh

{{Short description|Jordanian-American basketball coach (born 1967)}}

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Maz Trakh

| image = Maz Trakh.jpg

| caption = Trakh in 2018

| width =

| team = APR

| position = Head coach

| league = Rwanda Basketball League

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1962|7|3}}

| birth_place = Amman, Jordan

| nationality = American / Jordanian

| high_school = La Quinta (Westminster, California)

| college = Southern Utah (1983–1986)

| coach_start =

| coach_end =

| cyears1 = ?–?

| cteam1 = Long Beach State (assistant)

| cyears2 = 1989–1993

| cteam2 = Riverside CC (assistant)

| cyears3 = 1994–1996

| cteam3 = UC Irvine (assistant)

| cyears4 = 2000–2001

| cteam4 = Cabrillo College

| cyears5 = 2002–2004

| cteam5 = Yakima Sun Kings (assistant)

| cyears6 = 2004

| cteam6 = Yakima Sun Kings

| cyears7 = 2004

| cteam7 = Changwon LG Sakers (assistant)

| cyears8 = 2004–2006

| cteam8 = Fastlink

| cyears9 = 2006–2007

| cteam9 = Blue Stars

| cyears10 = {{nbay|2010|start}}–{{nbay|2012|end}}

| cteam10 = Oklahoma City Thunder (assistant)

| cyears11 = {{nbay|2013|start}}–{{nbay|2013|end}}

| cteam11 = Detroit Pistons (assistant)

| cyears12 = 2014–2015

| cteam12 = Al-Muharraq

| cyears13 = {{nbay|2016|start}}–{{nbay|2018|end}}

| cteam13 = Washington Wizards (assistant)

| highlights = As head coach:

RBL champion (2023)
RBL Coach of the Year (2023)
Rwanda Cup winner (2024)
FIBA Asia Champions Cup (2006)
3× Jordan League champion (2004–2006)

As assistant coach:

CBA champion (2003)
NBA All-Star Game (2012)

| cyears14 = 2023–present

| cteam14 = APR

}}

Mazen "Maz" Trakh (born July 3, 1962) is a Jordanian-American professional basketball coach who is the head coach for APR BBC of the Rwanda Basketball League. Trakh previously coached in the National Basketball Association (NBA), Continental Basketball Association (CBA), American Basketball Association (ABA) and overseas.[http://www.nba.com/coachfile/maz_trakh/?nav=page Maz Trakh], NBA Profile

Playing career

Trakh attended La Quinta High School in Westminster, California, where he was a teammate on the basketball team with Johnny Rogers. He played college basketball for the Southern Utah Thunderbirds from 1983 to 1986.{{cite web |title=Southern Utah Basketball |url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/suuni.sidearmsports.com/documents/2018/10/29/Life_Pacific_Notes.pdf |website=Southern Utah University |access-date=20 March 2021 |date=October 29, 2018}}

Coaching career

Trakh served as an assistant coach at Riverside Community College from 1989 to 1993 and for the UC Irvine Anteaters from 1994 to 1996.{{cite web |last1=Alexander |first1=Jim |title=ALEXANDER: Thunder's Trakh a study in persistence |url=https://www.pe.com/2012/04/21/alexander-thunder8217s-trakh-a-study-in-persistence/ |website=The Press-Enterprise |access-date=March 20, 2021 |date=April 21, 2012}}{{cite web |title=Thunder-'Eaters? |url=https://ucirvinesports.com/news/2012/5/25/5_25_2012_1211 |website=UCI Athletics |access-date=March 20, 2021 |date=May 25, 2012}}

Trakh helped lead Jordanian club Fastlink to the 2006 FIBA Asia Club Championship. His team became the first Jordanian team to ever win the championship.

In 2023, Trakh became part of the Rwanda Basketball League (RBL) for APR. He guided APR to the national championship in the 2023 RBL season, while being named Coach of the Year as well.https://allafrica.com/stories/202305240216.html He won the 2024 Rwanda Cup as well.{{Cite web |last=Sikubwabo |first=Damas |date=2024-08-10 |title=APR wins inaugural Rwanda basketball cup tournament |url=https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/19086/sports/football/apr-wins-inaugural-rwanda-basketball-cup-tournament |access-date=2024-08-22 |website=The New Times |language=en}}

= NBA =

Trakh began working with the Oklahoma City Thunder prior to the 2010–11 season, serving as the assistant coach focusing on player development for three seasons.{{cite web|url=http://newsok.com/article/3488285|publisher=newsok.com|title=OKC Thunder adds Maz Trakh to coaching staff {{pipe}} News OK|accessdate=2016-11-01}}

Trakh was an assistant coach for the Detroit Pistons during the 2013–14 season under coach Maurice Cheeks.{{cite web|url=http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2013/09/25/detroit-pistons-finalize-coaching-staff/|publisher=detroit.cbslocal.com|title=Detroit Pistons Finalize Coaching Staff « CBS Detroit|accessdate=2016-11-01}}

Trakh served as the west coast advance scout for the Golden State Warriors during the 2015–16 season.

At the beginning of the 2016–17 season, the Washington Wizards added Trakh to their coaching staff as assistant coach.{{cite web|url=http://www.sportsmanias.com/news/nba/wizards-announce-tony-brown-sidney-lowe-chad-iske-mike-terpstra-and-maz-trakh-as-assistant/577bf5674e63368e798b4625|publisher=sportsmanias.com|title=Wizards announce Tony Brown, Sidney Lowe, Chad Iske, Mike Terpstra and Maz Trakh as assistant coaches :InsideHoops via Sportsmanias.com|accessdate=2016-11-01}}

Personal life

Trakh's older brother Mark is also a basketball coach.{{cite web|url=http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-sports/ci_20929982/trakh-adds-offense-aggies-second-year|title=Trakh adds offense to Aggies in second year|author=Groves, Jason|work=Las Cruces Sun-News}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20170305035545/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-06-25/sports/sns-mct-trakh-adds-offense-to-aggies-in-second-year-20120625_1_maz-trakh-coaches-aggies Alt URL]