Isaac
Years ago

Matt Nielsen named as Boomers Head Assistant Coach

One of Australian basketball's most respected former players, Matthew Nielsen will join the Boomers Tokyo Olympic campaign after being appointed to the role of Australian senior men’s national team head assistant coach to support newly appointed mentor, coach Brian Goorjian.

A triple Olympian as a player, Nielsen is currently the head coach of the Austin Spurs, which is the G League affiliate of the highly respected San Antonio Spurs organisation. The iconic Boomer has enjoyed a successful transition from his outstanding playing career into coaching and is regarded highly across professional leagues in the USA and Europe, as well as the National Basketball League (NBL).

Nielsen will link with his former NBL championship and Boomers coach Brian Goorjian and brings a wealth of international basketball experience, having played professionally in the NBL, Greece, Lithuania, Spain and Russia, as well as donning the green and gold of the Boomers 132 times.

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ME (he/kangaroo)
Years ago

Fantastic appointment. This is a guy who should be the frontrunner to take over the program in a few years. He has his head in NBA circles and looks like he could be on the rise to an NBA head coaching spot with time. But for now, he's a person the playing group would know and respect, and he has been around the game in Europe, Australia and the NBA as an assistant. Be interesting what other assistants get thrown in the mix but so far, you have to like how that team is developing.

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Anonymous
Years ago

It speaks volumes of Gleeson's credentials when another assistant coach that was once under his tutelage has gone on to bigger and better things. He develops coaches in a winning program.

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Anonymous
Years ago

^hahahaha

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Anonymous
Years ago

If your an upcoming coach you want to work for Perth. Ex-assistants now at Sydney and Boomers.

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Anonymous
Years ago

Hahahah

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Anonymous
Years ago

Its more a case that people who work for Trev, want to get AWAY as quick as possible

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ME (he/kangaroo)
Years ago

I can't imagine he'd be an easy guy to work with. He comes across alright in relaxed interviews but in the heat of the moment he's equal to only Joey in the sheer arrogance he exudes.

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Anonymous
Years ago

Forde lasted the longest with him by the sounds of it

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Anonymous
Years ago

If Weaver doesn't get the NBA job Forde is still in the assistant's chair. If BG doesn't get Boomers job Nielsen stays sitting in San Antonio. Let's not mix good fortune with Gleeson's so called credentials.

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Anonymous
Years ago

The fact they are both ready for those roles shows how they developed under his leadership.

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Anonymous
Years ago

Ummm no. Getting selected or appointed

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Anonymous
Years ago

Its more a case that people who work for Trev, want to get AWAY as quick as possible

Yes, that's why the Wildcats maintained their core players for the best part of a decade.

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Anonymous
Years ago

Ummm no. Getting selected or appointed does not mean someone is ready at all. Plenty of people have been appointed to roles or signed to contracts who had no right ever to being in that position.

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Anonymous
Years ago

So you're saying Nielsen and Forde shouldnt have got those jobs?

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Anonymous
Years ago

Playing for and worked under are 2 different things my friend

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Anonymous
Years ago

Much of a muchness really. It's not like there has been a max exodus of players in his time, and Forde most likely left to go somewhere where a head coach role was more readily available.

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Truth Seeker
Years ago

Job for the boys

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Anonymous
Years ago

Great result for Australian basketball, he's a true champion player and person. The coaching future looks very good.

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Anonymous
Years ago

I reckon...

Goorjan
Nielsen
Forde
Caporn

Previous
Lemanis
Weaver
Longley
Patrick
Caporn

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LoveBroker
Years ago

A good way to derail a thread congratulating someone on an important career achievement, bring up Trevor Gleeson or Perth Wildcats in a positive light.

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Anonymous
Years ago

Forde makes a good choice for 2nd or 3rd assistant. Rookie head coach with an extensive career as an assistant. Can slot back into that assistant role with Goorj and Nelly.

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Anonymous
Years ago

The other assistants should be Mike Kelly and CJ Bruton

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ME (he/kangaroo)
Years ago

I like that we've been able to replace one coaching unit that had pretty good success internationally with another coaching unit that is just as (or possibly more) credentialled than the last

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orbit
Years ago

Wonder if he'l grab Shane Heal as other assistant?

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Anonymous
Years ago

Heal, lmao. He struggling in commentary.

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Anonymous
Years ago

You struggling in posting.

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Perthworld
Years ago

No way as Goorj got rid of Heal after one season at the Kings as he was a lazy trainer. Nielsen on the other hand was the golden boy.

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Anonymous
Years ago

What are Nielsen's best qualities as a coach? For some reason I'm skeptical about his tactical nous but am willing to admit that's just based on face value.

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Hoops

Matt Nielsen named as Boomers Head Assistant Coach

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