Brian Goorjian

College coach infobox
Name = Brian Goorjian


| Caption =
DateOfBirth = birth date and age|1953|7|28
Birthplace = Glendale, California
DateOfDeath =
Sport = Basketball
College =
Title = Head coach
OverallRecord = 486-207 (.700)
Awards =
Championships =
CFbDWID =
Player = yes
Years = 1977-1985
Team = Melbourne Tigers
Position =
Coach = Head Coach
CoachYears = 1988-1991 1992-1998 1998-2002 2002-2008
2008-
CoachTeams = Eastside Spectres SE Melbourne Magic Victoria Titans Sydney Kings
South Dragons

Brian Goorjian is the most successful coach in Australian basketball history. In an NBL coaching career spanning over 20 years since his debut with the Eastside Spectres in 1988 Goorjian has won 5 Championships (2 with the South East Melbourne Magic and 3 with the Sydney Kings). With a win ratio of over 70% Goorjian heads Lindsay Gaze as the most winning coach in NBL history and became the second man after Gaze to coach 600 games. Goorjian has also coached the Australian National Team, the Boomers, since 2001.

Life and early career

Brian Goorjian was born in Glendale, California, U.S. on July 28 1953. He has at least partial Armenian ethnicity. Goorjian first arrived in Australia in 1977 to play for the Melbourne Tigers under Lindsay Gaze. [ [http://www.celebrityspeakers.com.au/brspeaker_bio.asp?Speaker_Index_Text=363 Brian Goorjian] celebrityspeakers.com] In 1984 he captained the Melbourne Tigers in their first season. Goorjian's coaching career began in 1985 as assistant coach with the Geelong Supercats.

Senior coaching career

Eastside Spectres 1988-1991

Goorjian's first head coaching job came in 1988 when he coached the Eastside Melbourne Spectres. The team missed the finals in Goorjian's first two seasons (amazingly these two seasons would be the only time a Goorjian coached team did not qualify for the play-offs). [ [http://www.theage.com.au/news/Basketball/Why-Goorjian-is-king-of-the-court/2005/03/18/1111086011723.html Why Goorjian is king of the court] The Age, March 19, 2005] in 1990 the Spectres bowed out in the semi final and the next year they went one better making the Grand Final. They lost this final however and Goorjian moved to the South East Melbourne Magic.

South East Melbourne Magic 1992-1998

Success at the Magic came instantly as Goorjian won the first of his 5 championships in 1992. Three consecutive semi final losses were followed by a second championship in 1996 and a coach of the year award (which he would win a total of 4 times). Two heart-breaking Grand Final Losses were to follow however as Goorjian again moved to another Melbourne side, this time linking with the Victoria Titans.

Victoria Titans 1998-2002

Amazingly, the agony was to continue for Goorjian as his two Grand Final losses at the magic were followed by two more Grand Final losses at the Titans, making a total of 4 consecutive Grand Final defeats for Goorjian. Aside from being the only coach in Australian history to lose four consecutive grand finals, he was unable to add to his trophy cabinet at the Titans as two semi final losses followed.

Sydney Kings 2002 - 2008

The Sydney Kings capitalised on the Titans controversial decision to part ways with Goorjian after the 2002 season as he moved north to replace the San Antonio Spurs bound Brett Brown. What followed was a period of success unrivalled in Sydney's history. 3 titles followed in 4 seasons as the Kings swept all before them. Goorjian, who had brought his captain Jason Smith with him from the Titans, coached Sydney to 5 grand finals in 6 years despite being forced to constantly re-build the team after each season. He won his 5th Lindsay Gaze Coach of the year award (an Australian record) as the Kings went 27-3 during the 2007-08 regular season. [ [http://www.basketball.net.au/fs_newsitem.asp?id=77653&orgID=1&Oname=BA&O1c=8&O10c=3 Goorj named NBL's best] ] However they were unable to make it a 4th championship going down narrowly to the Melbourne Tigers.

outh Dragons 2008 -

On April 1, 2008, Goorjian signed a three year contract with Melbourne club South Dragons. [ [http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,23465256-23769,00.html Goorj completes Dragons move] foxsports.com.au April 1, 2008] and took his star player Mark Worthington with him. [ [http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,23546785-23769,00.html Smith vows to breathe new life] By Grantley BernardApril 16, 2008 ]

Australian national team

Goorjian has coached the Boomers since 2001 and was the first foreign born coach to hold this position. They successfully qualified for the 2004 Athens Olympics where they finished ninth.

Reputation & Achievements

Having won over 400 games at a winning percentage of 70% Goorjian's record exceeds that of Australian coaching legends in the other major professional leagues 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). [ [http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:rrZOgcAdB5gJ:www.icmi.com.au/Speaker/Sports/Brian_Goorjian/PDF+icmi+goorjian&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=au BRIAN GOORJIAN Australia’s most successful ever Coach] ] In 2003 the NBL Hall of Fame selection committee voted Brian Goorjian the best coach of the first 25 years of the National Basketball League. In one of the notable statistics in sport, Goorjian-coached teams have finished no worst than the semi-finals every year since 1990. He has also coached teams to a record 12 grand finals and won 'Coach of the year' on 5 occasions.

Goorjian is also known for his intense coaching style (contrasting the laid back style of his early mentor Lindsay Gaze). His former assistant coach Bill Tomlinson says the detail he paid to defence was notable, as was the emphasis on strength and conditioning which often made Goorjian coached teams the fittest in the league. [ [http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22857837-10914,00.html That winning feeling for long time coach Brian Goorjian] ] He said he sat down for his first six games in 1988, which he lost, and has stood during games ever since. [ [http://www.aussiebball.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=7657 The Life of Brian Goorjian] The Canberra Times, September 2006]

He is known for a defensive style which brings success but also boredom to fans. It is perhaps an unfortunate conincidence but fact none the less that every team he has coached at national league level has folded.

*NBL Championships: (5) 1992, 1996, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05

*Play-off appearances: (19 consecutive) 1990 - present

*Grand Final Appearances: (12) 1991, 1992, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1998-99, 1999-00, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2007-08

*Coach Of The Year: (5) 1992, 1997, 1998, 2001-02, 2007-08

Other Milestones:

*Most NBL games coached [ [http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,21111491-23210,00.html Thousand games beckons Goorjian] FOX Sports News, January 24, 2007]

References

External links

* [http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/inte/vide/inte/p/cp//langid/1/newsid/23488/roundid//inte.html Video interview with Brian Goorjian] @ fiba.com