Australian native Matt Nielsen is the new head coach of the San Antonio's G League affiliate - the Austin Spurs, the team announced. He receives the promotion to the head coaching position having spent the 2019-20 season as an assistant.
Nielsen, who will be the seventh coach in Austin Spurs history, has previously spent a lot of time with the San Antonio franchise. In fact, he began his coaching career in San Antonio as a player development assistant during the 2014-15 season.
Furthermore, he has served as an assistant coach on San Antonio’s summer league team from 2014-19.
"The development culture here is amazing."
— Austin Spurs (@austin_spurs) November 10, 2020
- Head Coach Matt Nielsen pic.twitter.com/7KXD7aOQTr
Nielsen enjoyed success in the NBL with the Perth Wildcats as an assistant with the franchise from 2015-19, where he was a part of three NBL Championships - 2016, 2017, 2019.
The 42-year-old played professional basketball for nearly 18 years. He began by making his debut with the Sydney Kings in 1995 at the age of 17. He would go on to play another nine years in the NBL, winning two championships (2003, 04) and the 2004 MVP award, before moving overseas to play in Lithuania, Greece and Spain for another nine years.
In Europe, he won two EuroCup titles in 2010 and 2012. In 2010, he was named the EuroCup Finals MVP and received an All-EuroCup First Team selection.
On the national level, he represented the Australian National Team from 1997-2012, participating in the 2004, 2008 and 2012 Olympics and helped guide the team to the gold medal at the 1997 FIBA Under-21 World Championship.
Adding to Nielsen's appointment, the Austin Spurs also promoted Tyler Self to the position of general manager.
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