Canada's brain trust is now in place.
With training camp set to start early next month, head coach Nick Nurse has finalized his coaching staff. Canada Basketball announced Monday that Nate Bjorkgren, Brad Greenberg, Nathaniel Mitchell and Jon Goodwillie have been hired as assistant coaches for the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup in China and Canada's pre-tournament exhibition slate.
Associate head coach Gordie Herbert, who was hired alongside Nurse in June, rounds off Canada's coaching staff.
“I'm really looking forward to working alongside great coaches like Gordie, Nate, Brad, Nathaniel and Jon as we head to China," Nurse said in a statement. "We all love and respect the international game, and we all bring different experiences and perspectives to this effort. This is an important tournament for Canada, and I believe that our coaching staff is prepared for the challenge.”
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Nurse's assistants bring a varied wealth of experience to Canada's bench, with Toronto Raptors coaches Bjorkgren and Goodwillie joining their club boss in the international arena. Greenberg is currently the head coach of Israeli club Maccabi Ashdod and has coached the Kosovo national team in FIBA World Cup qualifiers. He served as the general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers from 1996-97.
Mitchell, a Toronto native and current Charlotte Hornets assistant, was with Canada throughout the World Cup qualifying process and spent three seasons on the coaching staff of the Raptors' G-League affiliate.
Canada will open training camp in early August in Toronto before hosting exhibition games against Nigeria Aug. 7 (in Toronto) and Aug. 9 (in Winnipeg). The team will then travel to Australia for a series of games against the host country, New Zealand and the United States.
The Canadians start their World Cup quest Sept. 1 against Australia.