Brian Goorjian on the Boomers’ Olympic Run, the Brutal Realities of Player Selection and why he’s proud of their result
August 28, 2024
Brian Goorjian
- Nationality: USA
- Date of Birth: 28/07/53
- Place of Birth: Glendale, California (USA)
- Position: GRD
- Height (CM): 195
- Weight (KG): #N/A
- Junior Assoc: None
- College: Pepperdine (1973–1976)
- NBL DEBUT: 4/02/84
- AGE AT DEBUT: 30
- LAST NBL GAME: 17/06/84
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 30
- NBL History: Melbourne 1984
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Brian Goorjian was born in Glendale, California. Growing up he attended Crescenta Valley High School in La Crescenta, California, and was coached by his father, Ed. Goorjian led the schools 1971 team which to a 29-1 record before losing Verbum Dei in the CIF finals. Goorjian’s younger brothers, Kevin and Greg, also played basketball at Crescenta Valley.
After high school he accepted a scholarsip to play for the University of Pepperdine Waves.
After college he first arrived in Australia in 1977 and played for Port Melbourne Baseball club under coach Frank their, he later went on to play Basketball for the Melbourne Tigers under Lindsay Gaze.
FAMILY: His father Ed served as an assistant coach for Jerry Tarkanian at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas during the 1990s. Goorjan’s father Ed coached Brian and his two brothers Kevin and Greg at a high school level. His brother Kevin moved to Australia to serve as an assistant coach to Brian during his time with the Eastside Melbourne Spectres/South East Melbourne Magic.
NBL EXPERIENCE
Brian Goorjian made his NBL debut with the Melbourne Tigers at 30 years of age. He scored six points in his first game.
Was captain of Melbourne’s debut NBL squad in 1984. Goorjian would play one season in the NBL before moving into the coaching ranks.
Brian Goorjian played one season in the NBL. He averaged 21.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 7.5 assists in 24 NBL games.
CAREER RANKINGS:
– 6th in assists per game.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Dan Boyce is a die-hard Sydney Kings fan who grew up in Melbourne during the roaring 90's of Australian Basketball and spent far too much time collecting Futera NBL Basketball cards.
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 31 | Melbourne | 11-13 (9) | 24 | 0.0 | 525 | 88 | 181 | 22 | 66 | 30 | 4 | 74 | 49 | 191 | 395 | 48% | 106 | 243 | 44% | 37 | 46 | 80% | 63% | 62% | 36 | Totals | 24 | 0 | 525 | 88 | 181 | 22 | 66 | 30 | 4 | 74 | 49 | 191 | 395 | 48.4% | 106 | 243 | 43.6% | 37 | 46 | 80.4% | 63% | 62% | 36 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 31 | Melbourne | 11-13 (9) | 24 | 0.0 | 21.9 | 3.7 | 7.5 | 0.9 | 2.8 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 3.1 | 2.0 | 8.0 | 16.5 | 48% | 4.4 | 10.1 | 44% | 1.5 | 1.9 | 80% | 63% | 62% | 36 | Total | 24 | 0.0 | 21.9 | 3.7 | 7.5 | 0.9 | 2.8 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 3.1 | 2.0 | 8.0 | 16.5 | 48.4% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 43.6% | 4.4 | 10.1 | 80.4% | 63% | 62% | 36 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 36 | 10 | 17 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 0 |
|---|
FIBA EXPERIENCE
After Phil Smyths less than one-year term as the Australian Boomers coach in 2001 which resulted in the teams shock non-qualification for the 2002 World Championships, Goorjian was appointed as coach in late 2001 when Smyth resigned and would hold the position until 2008. By becoming the Boomers coach, Goorjian was the first foreign born coach to the team in its history. Under his tutelage, the Boomers qualified for the 2004 Athens Olympics, where they finished ninth, dropping five places from their 2000 finish. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the boomers improved their ranking to finish 7th.
In November 2020, Goorjian returned as head coach for the Australian mens national basketball team for the 2020 Olympics and 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
At the 2020 Japan Olympics, which were postponed due to COVID-19 to 2021, Goorjian coached the Australian Mens Basketball to a third place finish and the teams first medal ever at a major FIBA event.
AWARDS
- 6x NBL championship winning coach
- Member of NBL 25th Anniversary Team (named 2003).
COACHING HISTORY
Goorjian's coaching career began in 1985 as assistant coach with the Geelong Supercats.
Goorjian became an NBL head coach in 1988 with the Eastside Melbourne Spectres. The team missed the finals in Goorjian's first two seasons. In 1990, the Spectres bowed out in the semifinals 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.
In 1992, the Spectres merged with the Southern Melbourne Saints during the off-seasonto form the South East Melbourne Magic with Goorjian named as the new Magic coach.
Goorjian won the first of his six championships in 1992 against his former team, the Melbourne Tigers and he was named NBL 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 crosstown rivals the North Melbourne Giants to form the Victoria Titans.
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.
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.
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.
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.
In 2015 Goorjian stepped away from head coaching duties, and became associate coach of the Guangdong Southern Tigers where he was responsible for player development, talent identification, scouting and game analysis.
In 2016 he moved to rival club the Shanghai Sharks to take up a role as the and as a special advisor to the team's head coach.
In 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, signing a three-year deal as the head coach of the Illawarra Hawks.
Having won more than 500 games at a winning percentage of 70% Goorjian's record exceeds that of Australian coaching legends in the other major professional League 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).
Goorjian has coached more games (803) than anyone in NBL history and holds a winning percentage of 68.87 in the Australian competition.
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