The Qudos Bank Arena’s seating bowl is plunged into darkness, spotlighting the basketball court as if it were a grand stage. Amidst this dramatic setting, Sydney Kings players are honing their skills, preparing for the NBL Grand Final series opener. Pacing the perimeter of this illuminated arena is a figure in black, the embodiment of relentless energy: coach Brian Goorjian.
Even in his seventies, Goorjian moves with an intensity that belies his age. He pauses to observe a play, occasionally stepping onto the court to demonstrate a technique, but his presence is a constant, dynamic force. If he wore a GPS tracker, his activity levels would rival those of his younger athletes.
The Ageless Supercoach
“He’s the youngest 72-year-old in the world,” attests Kings star Xavier Cooks. “He comes in here full of energy every day, and we really fuel off that. Some days, it’s six months into the season, a cold Wednesday, and everyone’s feeling a bit tired. But ‘Goorj’ is the one bringing the energy, and we feed off it.”
Goorjian’s distinctive Californian accent punctuates the air, and his attentive players absorb every instruction. Their dedication is well-placed. He isn’t just the most successful coach in Australian basketball history, boasting six NBL championship rings and counting, but he has also recently ascended to the title of the “winningest” coach across any professional sport in Australia.
His 587th NBL victory, achieved in January during a regular-season game against Adelaide, saw him surpass legendary NRL coach Wayne Bennett (who had 586 wins from 962 games) for the most wins in a national competition considered to be at the elite level. Trailing these two titans are another league coach, Craig Bellamy, and VFL/AFL icon Jock McHale.
A Career Built on Resilience and Reinvention
Goorjian’s coaching journey commenced in 1988, spanning five decades. He has guided six different NBL teams across 25 seasons, reaching the playoffs in an impressive 23 of those campaigns, making the grand final on 13 occasions, and clinching six championships. Notably, he led the Kings to a dominant three-peat between 2003 and 2005.
This year, Goorjian was honoured with a record seventh NBL Coach of the Year award, an accolade named after Lindsay Gaze, a pivotal figure in Australian basketball as both a player and coach, and the father of the renowned Andrew Gaze.
“He’s got more rings than Liberace, mate,” quips Kings co-owner Paul Smith. “Look, the numbers don’t lie. It’s a numbers game, ultimately. You can argue there are more games played in basketball and all that, but let’s also not forget Goorj took 10 years off from the NBL. Let’s not forget he took a hiatus. Imagine what he could have racked up by now.”
Goorjian’s career, much like a typical training day, has been characterised by constant evolution and movement. After arriving in Australia as a player in 1975 and subsequently cutting his coaching teeth with the Ballarat Miners, the former Melbourne Tiger began his NBL coaching career in 1988 with the Eastside Spectres. He steered the South-East Melbourne Magic to two titles, followed by a stint at the Titans, and then a dominant era with the Sydney Kings from 2002 to 2008. After returning south, he transformed the Dragons from the bottom of the ladder to a championship in 2009, only for the club to fold. Goorjian then ventured overseas.
He spent a decade coaching in Asia, moving between clubs and national team roles in China, Japan, and the Philippines. This international experience culminated in his return to Australia to coach the Boomers at the 2020 Olympics – his third Olympic Games appearance. Under his guidance, the team finally secured an elusive medal. Following this success, Goorjian returned to coach Illawarra, and in 2024, the legendary coach rejoined the Sydney Kings on a three-year contract.
Goorjian attributes his remarkable longevity to embracing change and continuous learning.
The Secret to Sustained Success
“I’ve constantly been in learning environments. I’ve constantly been in change and been uncomfortable and been under pressure,” he explained at Qudos Bank Arena. “I have enjoyed it. I know you’ll know when you wake up and say, ‘Man, it’s not for me any more.’ But I haven’t felt that way all the way through.”
Speaking after he had finally ceased his pacing, Goorjian elaborated on his deliberate approach as a coach in his seventies.
“I love being around the young, and not only mentally, but the physical side of it is probably one of the biggest challenges at my age, because you can’t be sitting down and not being able to move,” he said. “I’m not Boy Wonder or anything, but there’s been a definite mindset to being able to move and stay on my toes and not be dragging, in fairness to them.”
Like the career of 76-year-old Wayne Bennett, sustained success in professional sport hinges on constant reinvention. The modern athlete is a fundamentally different proposition compared to those of the 1980s and 1990s, according to Smith. Both Goorjian and Bennett have mastered the art of connecting with and motivating these evolving athletes.
Should Goorjian lead the Kings to an NBL championship in the coming weeks, he will match Bennett’s tally of seven premiership rings.
Concerns about Goorjian’s age surfaced last season when the Kings finished fifth and began the current season with a less-than-stellar 3-5 record. However, after finding their rhythm mid-season, they have since surged, currently boasting an impressive 13-game winning streak.
Physically, mentally, and even emotionally, Goorjian shows no signs of slowing down. Just last month, the 72-year-old incurred a $775 fine following a heated courtside exchange with South East Melbourne Phoenix player Owen Foxwell, who had become entangled with star Kings guard Kendric Davis. Microphones captured Goorjian directing a string of expletives at Foxwell, leading referees to issue a technical foul, indicating he had exhausted his “legend’s leeway.”
Instinct, Stubbornness, and a Touch of Magic
So, what is the secret to Goorjian’s enduring excellence?
“It’s the darkest art – I don’t think he even knows why he’s that good,” Smith muses. “He’s instinctive. He’s stubborn. He’s committed. And he coaches what’s in front of him, type of thing. There’s nothing formulaic. He figures out what works with a group and when he finds that magic, then he just keeps farming it.”
“He’s got more rings than Liberace. The numbers don’t lie.”
Paul Smith
“He also doesn’t sleep. It’s unbelievable. I’ve been out with him and Luc Longley at dinner, and we’re at midnight and the waiters are hovering around, and Brian’s drawing plays on napkins, and I go, do you ever f—ing stop?”
Smith believes that a seventh NBL title, coupled with his Olympic medal, would finally cement Goorjian’s rightful place in the broader Australian sporting landscape.
“Within the linear basketball environment, he is a legend – and in a broader sense, there’s a recognition of who Brian Goorjian is,” Smith stated. “But I don’t think there’s the appropriate recognition of what Brian Goorjian has achieved. So I think winning, it’d be … well, it’s obviously incredibly important to the club and to the players. But I think one of the big stories here, and I’m glad you’re doing it, is that aspect: what Brian’s trying to achieve. Another title would be irrefutable evidence of where he sits in Australian sport.”
Goorjian is contracted for the upcoming season and maintains he still feels strong. Father Time, it seems, has yet to catch up with him. And, much like a typical Wednesday training session, there are no immediate plans to slow down.
