In the National Basketball Association (NBA), foreign coaches—also known as international coaches—are those who were born outside the United States.

This list includes all international coaches who have been assistant and/or head coach in the NBA and also includes all coaches who were born in the United States but have represented other countries in international basketball competition.

In 2000, Igor Kokoškov from Serbia became the first non-American to hold a full-time assistant coach position in the NBA.[1] In 2004, he became the first non-American assistant coach to win an NBA championship, and the first to serve on an NBA All-Star Game coaching staff.[2] In 2018, he became the first fully European head coach in the NBA.[3]

List

Note: These lists are correct through the start of the 2023–24 season.

Yrs Number of seasons coached in the NBA
* Denotes head or assistant coach who is still active in the NBA

List of head coaches

Nationality[A] Birthplace[B] Head coach Career[C] Yrs Notes Ref.
 Canada  South Africa Steve Nash 2020–20223 — [4]
 Canada — Jay Triano 2008–2011; 2017–20184 — [5]
 Israel  United States David Blatt 2014–20162 Born in the United States to Jewish parents, has dual U.S. and Israeli citizenship. [6]
 Italy  United States Mike D'Antoni 1998–1999; 2003–2014; 2016–202016 Born in the United States to Italian parents, has dual U.S. and Italian citizenship. [7]
 Nigeria  United States Ime Udoka* 2021–present1 Born in the United States to Nigerian parents, has dual U.S. and Nigerian citizenship. Suspended by for the 2022–23 season.
 Serbia  SFR Yugoslavia[D]
(now  Serbia)		 Igor Kokoškov 2018–20191 Also holds U.S. citizenship as of 2010. [8]
 Serbia  SFR Yugoslavia[D]
(now  Serbia)		 Darko Rajaković* 2023–present0 — [9]
 United States  Lebanon Steve Kerr* 2014–present9 Born in Lebanon to Malcolm H. Kerr, a Lebanese-born American citizen.[10] [11]
 United States  Russian Empire[E]
(now  Ukraine)		 Eddie Gottlieb 1946–19559 Born in the Russian Empire, moved to the United States as a child, became a naturalized U.S. citizen.
 United States  West Germany Kiki VanDeWeghe 2009–20101 Born in West Germany[F] to a Canadian father and an American mother. Holds both American and Canadian passports. [12]

List of assistant coaches

Nationality[A] Birthplace[B] Assistant coach Career[C] Yrs Notes Ref.
 Argentina — Pablo Prigioni* 2018–present5 Also holds Italian citizenship. [13]
 Australia — Adam Caporn* 2022–present1 —
 Australia — Damian Cotter* 2020–present3 —
 Australia — Trevor Gleeson* 2021–present2 —
 Australia — Matthew Nielsen* 2021–present2 —
 Belize  United States Marlon Garnett* 2015–present8 Born in the United States to Belizean parents, has dual U.S. and Belize citizenship.
 Brazil — Leandro Barbosa* 2022–present1 —
 Brazil — Tiago Splitter 2019–20234 —
 Canada — Gordon Herbert 2008–20091 —
 Canada — Jamaal Magloire 2013–20163 —
 Canada — Scott Morrison* 2017–2021
2023–present		4 —
 Canada  Great Britain
 England		 Roy Rana 2019–20223 —
 Canada — Jay Triano* 2002–2008; 2012–2017; 2018–present16 — [5]
 Democratic Republic of the Congo  Zaire
(now  Democratic Republic of the Congo)		 Patrick Mutombo 2012–2015; 2016–20209 Also holds Belgian citizenship.
 Croatia  SFR Yugoslavia[D]
(now  Croatia)		 Neven Spahija 2014–2017; 2019–20204 —
 Eswatini — Jama Mahlalela* 2012–2018; 2020–present9 Also holds Canadian citizenship.
 France  United States James Wade* 2023–present0 Born in the United States, became a naturalized French citizen.
 Germany  West Germany[F]
(now  Germany)		 Detlef Schrempf 2005–20072 —
 Georgia  United States Tyrone Ellis 2017–20181 Born in the United States, became a naturalized Georgian citizen.
 Great Britain
 Scotland		 — Alex McKechnie 2013–20207 —
 Great Britain
 England		  United States Nate Reinking* 2021–present1 —
 Greece — Fotios Katsikaris 2018–20191 — <
 Ireland  United States Jay Larrañaga* 2012–present11 Born in the United States to Irish parents, has dual U.S. and Irish citizenship.
 Ireland  United States Jim Moran 2015–20238 Born in the United States to Irish parents, has dual U.S. and Irish citizenship.
 Israel  United States Josh Oppenheimer* 2013–2017; 2020–present8 Born in the United States, has dual U.S. and Israeli citizenship.
 Italy  United States Mike D'Antoni 1997–1998; 2000–2001; 2002–2003; 2015–2016; 2020–20215 Born in the United States to Italian parents, has dual U.S. and Italian citizenship. [7]
 Italy  United States Anthony Dobbins* 2018–present5 Born in the United States, became a naturalized Italian citizen.
 Italy — Riccardo Fois 2019–20212 —
 Italy — Ettore Messina 2014–20195 —
 Italy — Sergio Scariolo 2018–20213 —
 Jordan  United States Maz Trakh 2010–2014; 2016–20197 Born in the United States, has dual U.S. and Jordanian citizenship.
 Lithuania  Soviet Union[G]
(now  Lithuania)		 Darius Songaila* 2019–present4 —
 Nigeria  United States Ekpe Udoh* 2023–present0 Born in the United States to Nigerian parents, has dual U.S. and Nigerian citizenship.
 Nigeria  United States Ime Udoka 2012–20219 Born in the United States to Nigerian parents, has dual U.S. and Nigerian citizenship.
 North Macedonia  United States Shayne Whittington* 2023–present0 Born in the United States, became a naturalized North Macedonian citizen.
 Palestine — Mahmoud Abdelfattah 2022–20231 Also holds U.S. citizenship.
 Philippines  United States Chip Engelland* 1999–2000; 2003–present21 Born in the United States, became a naturalized Filipino citizen.
 Poland — Marcin Gortat* 2022–present1 —
 Russia  United States Becky Hammon 2014–20228 Born in the United States, became a naturalized Russian citizen.
 Senegal — DeSagana Diop 2016–20226 —
 Serbia  SFR Yugoslavia[D]
(now  Serbia)		 Aleksandar Džikić 2005–20072 —
 Serbia  SFR Yugoslavia[D]
(now  Serbia)		 Igor Kokoškov* 2000–2018; 2019–2020; 2021–present21 Also holds U.S. citizenship as of 2010. [14]
 Serbia  SFR Yugoslavia[D]
(now  Serbia)		 Dejan Milojević* 2021–present2 —
 Serbia  SFR Yugoslavia[D]
(now  Serbia)		 Darko Rajaković 2014–20239 — [9]
 Serbia  SFR Yugoslavia[D]
(now  Serbia)		 Ivo Simović* 2023–present0 —
 Serbia  SFR Yugoslavia[D]
(now  Serbia)		 Ognjen Stojaković* 2016–present7 — [15]
 Serbia  SFR Yugoslavia[D]
(now  Serbia)		 Nenad Trajković 2010–20111 —
 Slovakia  United States Kristi Toliver* 2018–present5 Born in the United States, became a naturalized Slovak citizen.
 Spain — Jordi Fernández* 2016–present7 — [16]
 Spain — Sergi Oliva 2020–20222 — [17]
 Turkey — Erdem Can 2021–20221 —
 Turkey — Mehmet Okur 2016–20171 —
 Ukraine  Soviet Union[G]
(now  Ukraine)		 Vitaly Potapenko* 2010–2011;
2013–2017;
2018–present		10 —
 United States  Cuba Octavio De La Grana* 2010–2012
2016–present		9 Born in Cuba, moved to the United States at the age of 6, became a naturalized U.S. citizen.
 United States  Jamaica Patrick Ewing 2002–201715 Born in Jamaica, moved to the United States at the age of 11, became a naturalized U.S. citizen.
 United States  Romania Ernie Grunfeld 1989–19912 Born in Romania, moved to the United States at the age of 8, became a naturalized U.S. citizen. [18]
 United States  U.S. Virgin Islands Tim Duncan 2019–20201 —
 U.S. Virgin Islands  United States David Vanterpool 2012–202210 Born on the United States mainland, represented U.S. Virgin Islands internationally.[19]

See also

Notes

References

  1. ↑ Magic Name Igor Kokoskov Assistant Coach
  2. ↑ "Jazz Announce Basketball Staff Additions". NBA.com. July 1, 2015. Retrieved June 2, 2017.
  3. ↑ "Adrian Wojnarowski on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
  4. ↑ "Nets Fire Coach Steve Nash". New York Times. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
  5. 1 2 "Jay Triano Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
  6. ↑ "David Blatt Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
  7. 1 2 "Mike D'Antoni Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Igor Kokoškov Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
  9. 1 2 "Darko Rajaković Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
  10. ↑ Silver, Michael (April 7, 1997). "Straight Shooter". Sports Illustrated. Time Warner Company. Retrieved October 14, 2010.
  11. ↑ "Steve Kerr Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Kiki Vandeweghe Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Pablo Prigioni And Tiago Splitter Added To Brooklyn Nets Staff". NBA.com. April 24, 2018. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
  14. ↑ "Igor Kokoškov Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
  15. ↑ "Meet the 2016-17 Nuggets Coaches". nba.com/nuggets. NBA. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  16. ↑ "Denver Nuggets add Jordi Fernandez to coaching staff". denverstiffs.com. NBA. July 4, 2016. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
  17. ↑ "Jazz add Sergi Oliva to coaching staff". nba.com. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
  18. ↑ "Archives". Los Angeles Times.
  19. ↑ "David Vanterpool Profile". PBC CSKA Moscow. Retrieved October 3, 2010.
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