Five-time National Basketball League championship-winning coach Brian Goorjian will coach the Crazy John's South Dragons for the next three seasons, Dragons chairman Mark Cowan announced today.
The most successful coach in NBL history - he was named coach of the league's 25-year anniversary team - Goorjian joins the Dragons after winning three national titles with the Sydney Kings, whom he led to the grand final in five of his six seasons in the harbour city.
"I'm delighted to be returning to Melbourne, where I began my career as an NBL head coach and spent my first 15 years as a coach in this league," Goorjian, the NBL's reigning coach of the year, said.
"Melbourne is a great basketball city and one that has enjoyed outstanding success over the years. I look forward to making a further contribution to that tradition of success with an organisation I am confident will be an NBL power, on and off the court.
"I'm driven to help make this club the best in the National Basketball League and it is a challenge I am genuinely excited about. I urge the Melbourne sporting public to get behind the Crazy John's South Dragons for what I expect will be an exciting and ultimately successful ride."
Goorjian has been hailed as the most successful coach in Australian sporting history - making headlines last season when he moved past Collingwood Football Club (AFL) legend Jock McHale to become Australian sports' all-time "winningest" coach.
Before joining the Kings for the 2002-03 season, Goorjian coached the Eastside Melbourne Spectres (1988-1991), South East Melbourne Magic (1992-1998) and Victoria Titans (1998-2002). Goorjian, who will coach the Australia Post Boomers at the Beijing Olympics in August, has won more games as a coach (487) than any man in NBL history and is one of only two men to coach more than 600 games (697) - Melbourne Tigers legend Lindsay Gaze is the other. A veteran of 21 NBL seasons, Goorjian has coached in 19 consecutive playoff campaigns - a remarkable streak dating back to 1990. He has won five championships (two with the South East Melbourne Magic, 1992 and 1996, and three with the Sydney Kings, 2002/03, 2003/04 and 2004/05) and reached the grand final 12 times.
He is a five-time winner of the NBL's prestigious coach of the year award - the most recent of them coming last season after he led the Kings to a franchise-best 27-3 regular-season win-loss record.
Crazy John's South Dragons chairman Mark Cowan said Goorjian's appointment was a major windfall for the club.
"We are proud to be able to announce Brian Goorjian as our Head Coach for the next 3 years. He started his coaching career in Victoria and it is great to welcome him back. This is a significant coup for our club and I am sure Brian’s arrival will be a turning point in our on court fortunes. Personally, I am delighted with this outcome and can’t wait for next season to start.”
Goorjian left Australia for Europe and the USA last week to visit various Australians playing overseas in the lead-up to the Beijing Olympics. He is expected to return to Melbourne late April.
