Chase Buford named as Head Coach of the Kings

The Brydens Lawyers Sydney Kings are pleased to announce Chase Buford has been appointed as the Club’s new Head Coach on a multi-year deal.

Buford joins the Kings following two years as Head Coach of the Wisconsin Herd, the NBA G League affiliate of the Milwaukee Bucks. He is currently finishing up his tenure as a part of the Bucks coaching staff as they continue their NBA Playoff run in the Eastern Conference Finals.

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Kings Chairman and Owner Paul Smith is pleased the Club has locked in their Head Coach ahead of the upcoming Free Agency period.

“We are proud to welcome Chase as the Head Coach of the Brydens Lawyers Sydney Kings,” Smith said.

“Chase is a widely respected coach and has shown a special ability to develop players both on and off the court. His proven success, leadership, communication skills and basketball intellect make him the right fit to lead our team into the future”. 

“The G-League has produced a number of elite coaches and as a Club we have had success in recruiting US based coaches into our program. We remain committed to producing and developing talent, whether that be players, coaches, staff” Smith commented.

A Texas native, Buford has spent the last two years as Head Coach of the Wisconsin Herd. During the 2019-20 season, he led the team to a league-best 33-10 record; this was the biggest win improvement year-to-year (21 wins) in G League history, turning the Club from the worst to best record in his first season at the helm.

The incoming Head Coach is looking forward to his new opportunity in Australia.

“I am beyond grateful to Paul, Chris, and the entire Kings family for welcoming me and entrusting me with this fantastic opportunity to be the next coach of the Kings” Buford said.

“I’m excited by the vision Paul, Andrew, Chris, Luc, and the rest of the group have for the Club and I can’t wait to get to work. I look forward to building meaningful connections with the players, staff, and members of the club as we look to grow the Kings into a Championship organisation” he added.

Brydens Lawyers Sydney Kings CEO Chris Pongrass is thrilled the Club has locked in a long-term coach who can help grow the profile of basketball in Sydney.

“We conducted an extensive global search, and we’re thrilled to appoint Chase to lead the Club into an exciting new chapter for the Sydney Kings and basketball in NSW more broadly” Pongrass said.

“Chase is joining us on a multi-year contract and will play a key role in our wide-ranging commitment to the growth of basketball in Sydney. I am looking forward to working closely with him and continuing to build a competitive program of sustained success and development” Pongrass shared.

Buford spent the 2018-19 season as an Assistant Coach for the Delaware Blue Coats, the NBA G League affiliate of the Philadelphia 76ers. From 2017-18, Buford was the Assistant Coach of the Erie BayHawks, formerly the NBA G-League affiliate of the Atlanta Hawks. From 2015-17, Buford served as the Coordinator of Player Development for the Chicago Bulls. Buford’s career in professional basketball spans nine years, having begun in 2012 as a Regional Scout with the Atlanta Hawks.

Buford will move to Sydney with his partner, Kelly, following the completion of the Bucks’ playoff campaign. In the interim, the newly appointed Head Coach will work with Pongrass, Luc Longley, Andrew Bogut and the Kings front office to develop their roster ahead of the start of Free Agency.