COLLEGE

Goorjian played college basketball at Pepperdine, As a freshman he entered Gary Colson’s program in 1973 and went on to play three varsity seasons for the Waves from 1973-74 through 1975-76 as a guard out of Crescenta Valley High School in La Crescenta, California.

He wore number 32 at Pepperdine and finished his varsity career with 71 games played, 199 points, 84 rebounds, 158 assists, 77 made field goals on 208 attempts for 37.0%, and 45 made free throws on 61 attempts for 73.8%, which worked out to career averages of 2.8 points, 1.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.

In the 1973-74 season, Goorjian played 25 games for an 8-18 Pepperdine team that went 4-10 in the WCAC and finished tied for sixth under Colson.

He averaged 3.0 points, 1.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game that season, shooting 28-for-85 from the field for 32.9% and 20-for-25 at the line for 80.0%, while totaling 76 points, 33 rebounds and 58 assists.

Pepperdine’s main frontcourt force that year was freshman Marcos Leite at 17.3 points and 11.1 rebounds per game, with Dick Skophammer and Allan Jones both at 14.1 points per game, and Goorjian worked in the backcourt rotation behind a team that averaged 64.7 points per game.

That 1973-74 group also played in the first season after Firestone Fieldhouse opened, and Leite produced some of the standout individual efforts of the year, including 26 points against Loyola Marymount and 21 rebounds against Nevada.

As a junior in 1974-75, Goorjian played all 24 games for a Pepperdine side that improved to 17-8 overall and 8-6 in the WCAC, finishing third again under Colson.

His role expanded, as he averaged 15.4 minutes, 3.1 points, 1.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game, and he finished with 75 points, 31 rebounds and 67 assists while shooting 30-for-76 from the field for 39.5% and 15-for-21 at the foul line for 71.4%.

That team scored 86.6 points per game, with Marlan Peet at 13.5 points per game leading a balanced attack, and Pepperdine also got strong production from Ollie Matson, Marcos Leite and Chris Thompson.

Pepperdine’s 1974-75 season included a 97-71 win over Missouri State and two wins over Nevada, and the Waves carried that momentum into an even bigger breakthrough the following year.

In his senior season in 1975-76, Goorjian played 22 games for the Waves and averaged 11.6 minutes, 2.2 points, 0.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.

He totaled 48 points, 20 rebounds and 33 assists that season, shooting 19-for-47 from the field for 40.4% and 10-for-15 at the line for 66.7%.

Pepperdine went 22-6 overall, finished 10-2 in conference play, won the WCAC regular-season title under Colson and ended the year ranked 20th in the final AP Poll.

That 1975-76 squad was built around Marcos Leite, who averaged 18.7 points and 10.0 rebounds, Dennis Johnson, who averaged 15.7 points in his only Pepperdine season before turning pro, and Ollie Matson, and Leite won WCAC Player of the Year honors while Leite, Johnson and Matson all made the All-WCC first team.

One of the signature moments of that season came when a then-record Firestone Fieldhouse crowd of 4,500 watched Pepperdine upset number three UNLV 93-91.

Pepperdine reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time under Colson and opened the 1976 West Regional with an 87-77 win over Memphis in Tucson, with Leite scoring 34 points in the rematch after Memphis had beaten the Waves earlier in the season.

The run ended in the regional semifinal at Pauley Pavilion, where UCLA beat Pepperdine 70-61, though it was still a one-point game midway through the second half before the Bruins pulled clear, and Leite and Johnson scored 16 points each in the loss.

Goorjian’s college career closed with that NCAA appearance after three varsity seasons at Pepperdine from 1973-74 to 1975-76, all under Gary Colson, with the Waves moving from an 8-18 season to a 17-8 season and then to a 22-6 conference championship team.

AWARDS

- 6x NBL championship winning coach
- Member of NBL 25th Anniversary Team (named 2003).

COACHING HISTORY

Brian Goorjian's coaching career began in 1985 as an assistant coach with the Geelong Supercats. In 1986, he took on his first head coaching role with the Ballarat Miners in the SEABL, leading the team to the SEABL South Conference championship in 1987. This early success set the foundation for what would become one of the most illustrious coaching careers in basketball history. In 1988, Goorjian was appointed head coach of the Eastside Melbourne Spectres, marking his debut in the NBL. After missing the playoffs in his first two seasons, Goorjian led the Spectres to the semi-finals in 1990 and the Grand Final in 1991, where they fell to the Perth Wildcats. The Spectres then merged with the Southern Melbourne Saints in 1992 to form the South East Melbourne Magic, with Goorjian taking the reins as head coach. In his first season with the Magic, Goorjian guided the team to the NBL Championship, defeating the Melbourne Tigers and earning his first NBL Coach of the Year award. Over the next six years, Goorjian's Magic made the playoffs every season, claiming another championship in 1996 and earning him a second Coach of the Year honor. The Magic also reached the Grand Final in 1997 and 1998 but suffered defeats to the Melbourne Tigers and Adelaide 36ers, respectively. Following the 1998 season, the Magic merged with the North Melbourne Giants to form the Victoria Titans, and Goorjian was appointed head coach. He led the Titans to back-to-back Grand Final appearances in 1999 and 2000, losing to Adelaide and Perth, respectively. Despite regular-season success and consistent playoff appearances, financial struggles forced the Titans into administration in 2002, and Goorjian was controversially let go. Goorjian joined the Sydney Kings ahead of the 2002–03 season and transformed the struggling franchise into a powerhouse. Under his leadership, the Kings won their first-ever NBL Championship in 2003 and completed a historic three-peat with titles in 2004 and 2005. Over six seasons, Goorjian led the Kings to five Grand Final appearances, earning NBL Coach of the Year honours in 2008. However, the Kings folded shortly after his departure in 2008. In 2008, Goorjian signed a three-year deal with the South Dragons, a team that had finished last the previous season. In his first year, he guided the Dragons to an NBL Championship, defeating the Melbourne Tigers in the Grand Final. Goorjian was named NBL Coach of the Year for the sixth time. Despite the title win, the Dragons folded after the 2008–09 season, prompting Goorjian to explore opportunities overseas. In 2009, Goorjian moved to China to coach the Dongguan Leopards in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). Over six seasons, he led the Leopards to multiple playoff appearances, solidifying his reputation as a world-class coach. In 2015, he transitioned to an associate coaching role with the Guangdong Southern Tigers, focusing on player development, talent identification, and game analysis. He later served as a special advisor to the Shanghai Sharks from 2016 to 2018 and as an assistant coach with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers during the 2018–19 season, helping the team reach the CBA Grand Final. In 2020, after more than a decade away from the NBL, Goorjian returned as head coach of the Illawarra Hawks. He revitalized the franchise, leading the Hawks to back-to-back playoff appearances before stepping into a special advisory role in 2022. That same year, Goorjian was appointed head coach of the Bay Area Dragons, a guest team in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) and the East Asia Super League (EASL). He guided the Dragons to the PBA Grand Final and the EASL Final Four before the team folded in 2023. In 2024, Goorjian returned to the Sydney Kings as head coach, aiming to build on his legacy with the team he previously led to three championships. In January 2025, he coached his 850th NBL game, further cementing his status as the league's most experienced and successful coach. Goorjian's contributions extend beyond club basketball. He first served as head coach of the Australian Boomers from 2001 to 2008, leading the team to the 2004 Athens Olympics, the 2006 Commonwealth Games (where they won gold), and the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In 2020, Goorjian was reappointed as Boomers head coach and guided the team to its first-ever Olympic medal, a bronze, at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. He also led the Boomers to victory at the 2022 FIBA Asia Cup and continues to prepare the team for the Paris 2024 Olympics. With over 850 games coached and a winning percentage of 68.87 in the NBL, Goorjian is widely regarded as the most successful coach in league history. His six NBL championships, six Coach of the Year awards, and contributions to international basketball have solidified his legacy as one of the greatest coaches in the sport. A Basketball Australia Hall of Fame inductee, Goorjian remains an influential figure in basketball both in Australia and internationally.