3
Dec
Aussies in G-League
Spurs' Chance on Aussie Jacob pays off
Australia Head Coach Jacob Chance gives instructions during the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifier match between Australia Boomers and Thailand at Gippsland Regional Indoor Sports Stadium on February 23, 2025 in Gippsland, Australia. Photo: Graham Denholm/Getty Images
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The former NBL assistant hasn't taken long to make his mark as a head coach in the G League
- Australian Jacob Chance was named G League Coach of the Month for November
- Chance led the Spurs to a 9-1 record to start the season, Austin's best start in franchise history
- The 31-year-old was an assistant for Melbourne, Tasmania and Perth before departing the NBL
It hasn't taken long for Jacob Chance to show the NBA G League why he is regarded as one of the best up and coming coaches in Australia.
The former Melbourne United, Tasmania JackJumpers and Perth Wildcats assistant was named G League Coach of the Month for November after leading the Austin Spurs to a 9-1 record to start his first season as a head coach.
Austin's record is the best start to a season in franchise history.
On top of the Spurs having the second-best record across the league, they rank first in three-point percentage (40.2%), second in defensive rating (104.1), third in field goal percentage (50%) and fifth in both three-pointers made (130) and free-throw percentage (77.7%).
Chance's team are also on a four-game win streak going into December.
It's a big moment for the 31-year-old who announced he had signed with San Antonio's G League affiliate in August and was leaving the NBL after almost 10 years in the league in several different roles.
Chance was plucked out of the Wildcats system by JackJumpers coach Scott Roth, where he helped Tasmania to an NBL Grand Final series in 2022 and Melbourne to back-to-back appearances in the championship series in 2024 and 2025.
The former Rockingham Flames junior coach quickly developed an immaculate reputation amongst NBL players with many calling him a 'head coach in waiting' early in his career, which turned out to be true.
His development landed him an assistant coaching role with the Australian Boomers, where he also served as head coach during last year's FIBA window in November.
Chance is following a familiar path for many Aussie coaches in the NBA, including Boomers legend Matthew Nielsen who was an assistant coach for Austin in 2019-20 before moving into the head coaching role the next season before being promoted to San Antonio Spurs assistant coach for the 2021-22 season.
Former Sydney Kings head coach Damian Cotter was also an assistant coach for the Capital City GoGo and Long Island Nets before earning a head coaching role with the Windy City Bulls, where was promoted to a Chicago Bulls NBA assistant in 2020.
Boomers coach Adam Caporn has also followed that path, leading the Long Island Nets in 2021-22 before becoming an NBA assistant with the Brooklyn Nets and now the Washington Wizards.
Chance's performances also add to a dominant start for Aussies in the G League with rookies Lachlan Olbrich and Rocco Zikarsky playing starring roles for the Windy City Bulls and Iowa Wolves respectively.
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