The head coach of the Washington Wizards, Brian Keefe, hails from Winchester, Massachusetts, in the U.S. As a shooting guard at Winchester High School, he averaged 28 points per game, making him the all-time top scorer. His record of 1,163 points was surpassed in 2018 after standing for 24 years.
Keefe began playing college basketball at the University of California, Irvine, 1994–96. After this, he transferred to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) in 1997-99. The next season, in 2000, his coaching career began with the University of South Florida for one season. Followed by Bryant University for four seasons and then began his NBA career with the San Antonio Spurs followed by the City Thunder, Knicks, Lakers, Nets, and as of 2024, the Wizards.
What teams has Brian Keefe coached?
Brian Keefe started his coaching career as an assistant coach with the South Florida Bulls in 2000. He also served as an assistant coach with the Bryant Bulldogs from 2001 to 2005. To begin his NBA career, he worked as the Spurs' video coordinator for two seasons.
In his NBA career, he has twice been an assistant coach with the Oklahoma City Thunder (2007–2014 and 2019–2020). Furthermore, he was an assistant coach with the New York Knicks (2014–2016) and the Los Angeles Lakers (2016–2019). Before beginning with the Wizards, he was also an assistant coach for the Brooklyn Nets from 2021 to 2023.
University of South Florida (2000-01) and Bryant University (2001-05)
After serving as a graduate assistant at the University of South Florida for the 2000–01 season, Keefe was hired to serve as Max Good's assistant coach at Bryant University in Smithfield, Rhode Island, for four seasons (2001–05). He assisted the Bryant Bulldogs in earning a trip to the Division II Championship in 2005, his final season.
Seattle SuperSonics/Oklahoma City Thunder (2007-15; 2019-20)
As head coach Gregg Popovich's video coordinator, Keefe began his professional basketball coaching career with the San Antonio Spurs, where he won a ring in his second season as a member of the Spurs' 2007 championship. Former Spurs assistant coach PJ Carlesimo and former Spurs assistant general manager Sam Presti chose Keefe to work alongside them in creating the Oklahoma City Thunder.
In August 2007, when the team was still known as the Seattle SuperSonics, he became an assistant coach. As the team's performance lead, he was in charge of the growth of the team's young roster, which included draft picks James Harden, Sell Westbrook, and Kevin Durant. All three went on to win the league's MVP award. He joined the Thunder as their defensive coordinator in 2010.
Keefe has served as an assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder, who qualified for the playoffs, including five straight (2009–2014) and a 2012 trip to the NBA Finals with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
In July 2019, Keefe returned to the coaching staff of the Oklahoma City Thunder to take charge of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's development and lead the defense under head coach Billy Donovan.
New York Knicks (2015-16)
After seven seasons with the Thunder, Keefe joined the New York Knicks as an assistant coach, working under team president Phil Jackson and head coach and former Thunder player Derek Fisher. He was primarily responsible for defense and the growth of rookie Kristaps Porzingis.
Los Angeles Lakers (2016-19)
Keefe joined the Los Angeles Lakers coaching staff in August 2016 as an assistant coach under head coach Luke Walton. In 2017, he was promoted to defensive coordinator. He became in charge of the team's development, including Brandon Ingram, and was sought after for his ability to turn youngsters into top talent. After finishing 30th in defense the year before, he led the Lakers to 12th place in defense in his first season as defensive coordinator.
Brooklyn Nets (2021-23)
Keefe supervised the defense when he joined the Brooklyn Nets as an assistant coach in August 2021. In May of 2023, he left the Nets.
Washington Wizards
After more than 20 years of coaching, Keefe is in his first head coaching position with the Washington Wizards. He was initially named interim head coach in January 2024, and over the remainder of the regular season, the team's opponent's three-point percentage, defensive rating, and overall net rating all increased. Under him, the Wizards' three-point shooting percentage of 34.5% was the second-lowest in the NBA. (as per the official NBA website)
FAQs on Brian Keefe
A. Brian Keefe is the head coach of the Washington Wizards as of November 2024.
A. Brian Keefe began coaching at the University of South Florida in 2000.
A. Brian Keefe was an assistant coach for the Brooklyn Nets from 2021 to 2023.
A. Brian Keefe is from Winchester, Massachusetts, in the United States.
A. Brian Keefe is 48 years old as of November 2024. He was born on April 7, 1976.
