List of Foreign NBA Coaches

Last Modified May 12, 2025 19:37 GMT
Steve Kerr
Steve Kerr - Golden State Warriors v Houston Rockets - Game Two

The NBA is a grand basketball league that has produced and groomed enormous talent over the years. Since the beginning of the league in 1946, there have been many players who have made a name for themselves and represented their respective countries at the international level. As a result, the NBA has attracted a lot of foreign talent, including both players and coaches.

Each team in the NBA has a head coach and an assistant coach on their support staff, and many of these coaches are foreign coaches. A foreign NBA coach is a coach who was born outside the USA. Igor Kokošov became an assistant coach in 2000 and won the NBA championship in 2004. He is the only non-American coach to win the NBA championship and the first non-American to hold a full-time assistant coaching position. He was also the first non-American coach to serve on the coaching staff of an NBA All-Star Game, after which he became the first European head coach in the NBA.

Below is the list of the foreign head coaches in the NBA:

Foreign NBA Head Coaches

NationalityBirthplaceHead coachCareerYrsNotes
CanadaSouth AfricaSteve Nash2020–20223
CanadaJay Triano2008–2011; 2017–20184
IsraelUnited StatesDavid Blatt2014–20162Dual U.S. and Israeli citizenship.
ItalyUnited StatesMike D'Antoni1998–1999; 2003–2014; 2016–202016Dual U.S. and Italian citizenship.
NigeriaUnited StatesIme Udoka*2021–present3Dual U.S. and Nigerian citizenship. Was suspended for the 2022–23 season.
SerbiaSFR Yugoslavia(Serbia)Igor Kokoškov2018–20191Also holds U.S. citizenship as of 2010.
SerbiaSFR Yugoslavia(Serbia)Darko Rajaković*2023–present0
United StatesLebanonSteve Kerr*2014–present11Born in Lebanon to Malcolm H. Kerr, a Lebanese-born American citizen.
United StatesRussian Empire(Ukraine)Eddie Gottlieb1946–19559Born in the Russian Empire, moved to the United States as a child, became a naturalized U.S. citizen.
United StatesWest GermanyKiki VanDeWeghe2009–20101Holds both American and Canadian passports.

Foreign NBA Assistant Coaches

NationalityBirthplaceAssistant coachCareerYrsNotes
ArgentinaPablo Prigioni2018–present7Also holds Italian citizenship.
AustraliaAdam Caporn2022–present3
AustraliaDamian Cotter2020–present5
AustraliaTrevor Gleeson2021–present4
AustraliaMatthew Nielsen2021–present4
BelizeUnited StatesMarlon Garnett2015–present10Born in the United States to Belizean parents, has dual U.S. and Belize citizenship.
BrazilLeandro Barbosa2022–present3
BrazilTiago Splitter2019–20234
CanadaGordon Herbert2008–20091
CanadaJamaal Magloire2013–20163
CanadaScott Morrison2017–2021, 2023–present6
CanadaGreat Britain EnglandRoy Rana2019–20223
CanadaJay Triano2002–2008; 2012–2017; 2018–present19
Democratic Republic of the CongoZairePatrick Mutombo2012–2015; 2016–20209Also holds Belgian citizenship.
CroatiaSFR YugoslaviaNeven Spahija2014–2017; 2019–20204
EswatiniJama Mahlalela2012–2018; 2020–present12Also holds Canadian citizenship.
FranceUnited StatesJames Wade2023–present2Born in the United States, became a naturalized French citizen.
GermanyWest GermanyDetlef Schrempf2005–20072
GeorgiaUnited StatesTyrone Ellis2017–20181Born in the United States, became a naturalized Georgian citizen.
Great Britain ScotlandAlex McKechnie2013–20207
Great BritainUnited StatesNate Reinking2021–present4
GreeceFotios Katsikaris2018–20191
IrelandUnited StatesJay Larrañaga2012–present13Born in the United States to Irish parents, has dual U.S. and Irish citizenship.
IrelandUnited StatesJim Moran2015–20238Born in the United States to Irish parents, has dual U.S. and Irish citizenship.
IsraelUnited StatesJosh Oppenheimer2013–2017; 2020–present8Born in the United States, has dual U.S. and Israeli citizenship.
ItalyUnited StatesMike D'Antoni1997–1998; 2000–2001; 2002–2003; 2015–2016; 2020–20215Born in the United States to Italian parents, has dual U.S. and Italian citizenship.
ItalyUnited StatesAnthony Dobbins2018–present7Born in the United States, became a naturalized Italian citizen.
ItalyRiccardo Fois2019–20212
ItalyEttore Messina2014–20195
ItalySergio Scariolo2018–20213
JordanUnited StatesMaz Trakh2010–2014; 2016–20197Born in the United States, has dual U.S. and Jordanian citizenship.
LithuaniaSoviet UnionDarius Songaila2019–present5
NigeriaUnited StatesEkpe Udoh2023–present0Born in the United States to Nigerian parents, has dual U.S. and Nigerian citizenship.
NigeriaUnited StatesIme Udoka2012–20219Born in the United States to Nigerian parents, has dual U.S. and Nigerian citizenship.
North MacedoniaUnited StatesShayne Whittington2023–present2Born in the United States, became a naturalized North Macedonian citizen.
PalestineMahmoud Abdelfattah2022–20231Also holds U.S. citizenship.
PhilippinesUnited StatesChip Engelland1999–2000; 2003–present21Born in the United States, became a naturalized Filipino citizen.
PolandMarcin Gortat2022–present3
RussiaUnited StatesBecky Hammon2014–20228Born in the United States, became a naturalized Russian citizen.
SenegalDeSagana Diop2016–20226
SerbiaSFR YugoslaviaAleksandar Džikić2005–20072
SerbiaSFR YugoslaviaIgor Kokoškov2000–2018; 2019–2020; 2021–present23Also holds U.S. citizenship as of 2010.
SerbiaSFR YugoslaviaDejan Milojević2021–present4
SerbiaSFR YugoslaviaDarko Rajaković2014–20239
SerbiaSFR YugoslaviaIvo Simović2023–present2
SerbiaSFR YugoslaviaOgnjen Stojaković2016–present7
SerbiaSFR YugoslaviaNenad Trajković2010–20111
SlovakiaUnited StatesKristi Toliver2018–present7Born in the United States, became a naturalized Slovak citizen.
SpainJordi Fernández2016–present9
SpainSergi Oliva2020–20222
TurkeyErdem Can2021–20221
TurkeyMehmet Okur2016–20171
UkraineSoviet UnionVitaly Potapenko2010–2011;10
United StatesCubaOctavio De La Grana2010–20129Born in Cuba, moved to the United States at the age of 6, became a naturalized U.S. citizen.
United StatesJamaicaPatrick Ewing2002–201715Born in Jamaica, moved to the United States at the age of 11, became a naturalized U.S. citizen.
United StatesRomaniaErnie Grunfeld1989–19912Born in Romania, moved to the United States at the age of 8, became a naturalized U.S. citizen.
United StatesU.S. Virgin IslandsTim Duncan2019–20201
U.S. Virgin IslandsUnited StatesDavid Vanterpool2012–202210Born on the United States mainland, represented U.S. Virgin Islands internationally

Read More : List of NBA Player with Nicknames

FAQs on Foreign NBA Coaches

A. Larry Brown has coached a total of nine teams, which is the most by any head coach in the NBA.

A. There are a total of 15 African-American coaches in the NBA. 

A. Igor Kokosov has served as an assistant coach in the NBA for 18 years. He was born in Serbia and was the only head coach with European origin in the NBA. He was the head coach of the Phoenix Suns in the 2018-2019 season.

A. Gregg Popovich has been an NBA coach for 29 seasons as of May 2025, and now is president of the San Antonio Spurs.

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