American-born Brian Goorjian returns to coach in Australia

SYDNEY (AP) — American-born Brian Goorjian is returning to Australia to coach the Hawks in the National Basketball League.

Goorjian, a former coach of the Australian national team, had been coaching in China for 10 years.

He has signed a two-year deal to coach the Hawks, lured back to the NBL by the club’s new co-owner Dorry Kordahi, who Goorjian worked with at the Sydney Kings. Kordahi was part of a consortium led by ex-Philadelphia 76ers general manager Bryan Colangelo who bought the Wollongong-based club last week.

Goorjian, from Glendale, California, won six NBL titles and as many coach of the year honors and has a 70% win ratio across 20 seasons in Australia.

“I have been coaching in China but of course I have been following the developments in the NBL,” Goorjian said Tuesday. “I now feel very confident in its future.”

The Hawks are based south of Sydney, in the Illawarra region.