Goorjian wins NBL Coach of Year for seventh time

Sydney Kings Head Coach Brian Goorjian has been crowned the NBL Coach of the Year for the seventh time in his illustrious career.

Goorjian took out the 2025/26 Lindsay Gaze Trophy in Melbourne on Monday night after guiding the Kings to an astonishing league best 24-9 record to finish as regular season champions.

A six-time NBL champion, Goorjian previously won the award in 1992, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2008 and 2009.

Goorjian, who holds the all-time games coached record at 866 (68.5%-win ratio), thanked the Sydney Kings organisation in his acceptance speech.

“I always think the coach of the year is the ultimate team award because coaching is about selection of people and relationships,’’ Goorjian said.

“I want to thank my owners Paul Smith and Robyn Denholm. The relationships and the team that we have, we can’t do it without great players.

“As far as (this) group of guys go, I haven’t had a better group. You can’t win without great players and good people.

“I’ve been involved in a lot of teams and the older you get, I feel like you work out what you’re good at.

“I feel I’m pretty good at selection of people and it’s taken a little while, it always is when you start in a new organisation and a new team, (you’ve got to) pick the right ownership and the right office.

“It’s more about being around the young, about being around people that you enjoy and care about.

“If I’m around in 10-15 years, you walk down the beach after a championship, and you see them, and you say that was something g special.

“I’ve coached guys now that are in their 60s-50s, and to see through this sport, what kind of men they have become, what kind of fathers they are, and what they are doing with their lives, you can say you were a part of that and that’s much more important than the basketball.”