Adrian Hurley
Encyclopedia
Dr Adrian Hurley OAM
(born 21 April 1944) is a former Australia
n basketball
coach and a former player. He is now retired and is presently President of Basketball NSW and serves on advisory committees for Basketball Australia and the National Basketball League.
In the early seventies he moved to the USA where he coached basketball in Eugene Oregon. At this time he completed his PhD in Education.
Hurley began his National Basketball League
coaching career with the Illawarra Hawks in 1980
.
In 1981 he moved to Canberra as the foundation basketball coach of the Australian Institute of Sport. He served as Head Coach at the AIS from 1981 to 1992. From 1983 to 1992 he was a Vice President of the World Coaches Association and President of the Oceania Region Coaching.
During his time at the AIS he was assistant coach of the Australia national basketball team
at the 1982 FIBA World Championship
s and the 1984 Olympic Games
.
He was appointed as the head coach of the Australian Men's team in 1985 and coached the Boomers at the 1998
and 1992 Summer Olympics
and the 1986 and 1990 FIBA World Championship
s.
In 1987 he coached the AIS women's team to the title at the Australian Women's Club Championships.
At the 1988 Olympics he was the first Australian Mens team coach to take Australia to the medal round where Australia finished in 4th place. In 1992 he coached the Boomers to 6th place at the Barcelona Olympics the second highest finish for the Boomers at that stage. Hurley was a national men's team (Boomers) selector from 1976 to 1992 and a member of the Australian Coaching Council 1985-90.
During this period he conducted and gave lectures at many basketball coaching clinics throughout Australia, the South Pacific and in Europe.
He left the AIS in 1993 and was appointed Perth Wildcats
head coach where he coached from 1993 until 1997. Hurley led the Wildcats to Grand Finals in 1993 and 1995, winning the latter. In 1995 his Perth Wildcats won the "triple crown" when they won the pre-season championship, the minor premiership and the title. This was the first time in NBL history that this feat had been achieved.In the same year he coached the Wildcats at the World Club Championship in London where the Wildcats played the NBA champions the Houston Rockets. The Wildcats finished 4th in the championship, the highest ever performance by an Australian team.
In 1997 he resigned from the Wildcats and became an executive for Kerry Stokes's parent company Australian Capital Equity. In this period he was also President of The Western Australian Sports Federation and served on a number of government sporting boards including Healthway and the WA Sport and Recreation board. He was a Director of Basketball Australia from 1999-2003.
In 1999 he was part of a 4 person Taskforce appointed by the Prime Minister to review and recommend directions for sport in Australia after the 2000 Olympics.
In 2001 he was appointed as the CEO of the Hunter Events Corporation in Newcastle. In 2002 he oversaw the conduct of the 8th Australian Masters Games in Newcastle that set a record attendance of over 12,000 participants. In 2002 he was named as a finalist in the Australian Sports Awards Administrator of the Year.
In 2004-5 he was the head coach of the Hunter Pirates
. In that year he took the Pirates from last place the previous year (where they had 2 wins) to 15 wins and the playoffs. He was named the NBL Coach of the Year in 2004. He coached the Pirates in 2005-06 and once again they made the playoffs.The Pirates were sold to Singapore for the next season and Hurley retired and now lives in Newcastle.
In 2007 he was elected President of Basketball NSW a position he will hold until the end of 2010.
Hall of Fame as a coach in 2004. In 1991 he was awarded the Order of Australia Medal.
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(born 21 April 1944) is a former Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
coach and a former player. He is now retired and is presently President of Basketball NSW and serves on advisory committees for Basketball Australia and the National Basketball League.
Playing career
Hurley began his basketball career in Wollongong in the early sixties. He won a number of State junior titles and played on the NSW Open team that won the Australian Championships in 1967. He played for NSW for 5 years and captained the 1970 NSW team.In the early seventies he moved to the USA where he coached basketball in Eugene Oregon. At this time he completed his PhD in Education.
Coaching career
On returning to Australia he lectured at Wollongong Institute of Education and commenced coaching the Illawarra Hawks in State and Australian Championships. He coached Illawarra to a number of State titles during this period.Hurley began his National Basketball League
National Basketball League (Australia)
The National Basketball League, also known as the iiNet NBL Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in Australasia....
coaching career with the Illawarra Hawks in 1980
1980 NBL Season
Here are the results and statistics from the National Basketball League season of 1980.-End of Season Ladder:This is the ladder at the end of season, before the finals. In all, 132 games were played, 22 for each team.-Finals:...
.
In 1981 he moved to Canberra as the foundation basketball coach of the Australian Institute of Sport. He served as Head Coach at the AIS from 1981 to 1992. From 1983 to 1992 he was a Vice President of the World Coaches Association and President of the Oceania Region Coaching.
During his time at the AIS he was assistant coach of the Australia national basketball team
Australia national basketball team
The Australian national basketball team is the men's basketball side that represents Australia in international competitions. The team is known in Australia as the Boomers, an Australian slang term for Kangaroo. Australia is ranked 9th in the world and finished 7th at the 2008 Beijing Olympic...
at the 1982 FIBA World Championship
FIBA World Championship
The FIBA World Championship is an international basketball competition contested by the men's national teams of the members of the International Basketball Federation , the sport's global governing body...
s and the 1984 Olympic Games
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
.
He was appointed as the head coach of the Australian Men's team in 1985 and coached the Boomers at the 1998
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
and 1992 Summer Olympics
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
and the 1986 and 1990 FIBA World Championship
FIBA World Championship
The FIBA World Championship is an international basketball competition contested by the men's national teams of the members of the International Basketball Federation , the sport's global governing body...
s.
In 1987 he coached the AIS women's team to the title at the Australian Women's Club Championships.
At the 1988 Olympics he was the first Australian Mens team coach to take Australia to the medal round where Australia finished in 4th place. In 1992 he coached the Boomers to 6th place at the Barcelona Olympics the second highest finish for the Boomers at that stage. Hurley was a national men's team (Boomers) selector from 1976 to 1992 and a member of the Australian Coaching Council 1985-90.
During this period he conducted and gave lectures at many basketball coaching clinics throughout Australia, the South Pacific and in Europe.
He left the AIS in 1993 and was appointed Perth Wildcats
Perth Wildcats
The Perth Wildcats are an Australian professional basketball team competing in the National Basketball League. The Wildcats are the only team in the league representing the state of Western Australia and are based in the state capital, Perth...
head coach where he coached from 1993 until 1997. Hurley led the Wildcats to Grand Finals in 1993 and 1995, winning the latter. In 1995 his Perth Wildcats won the "triple crown" when they won the pre-season championship, the minor premiership and the title. This was the first time in NBL history that this feat had been achieved.In the same year he coached the Wildcats at the World Club Championship in London where the Wildcats played the NBA champions the Houston Rockets. The Wildcats finished 4th in the championship, the highest ever performance by an Australian team.
In 1997 he resigned from the Wildcats and became an executive for Kerry Stokes's parent company Australian Capital Equity. In this period he was also President of The Western Australian Sports Federation and served on a number of government sporting boards including Healthway and the WA Sport and Recreation board. He was a Director of Basketball Australia from 1999-2003.
In 1999 he was part of a 4 person Taskforce appointed by the Prime Minister to review and recommend directions for sport in Australia after the 2000 Olympics.
In 2001 he was appointed as the CEO of the Hunter Events Corporation in Newcastle. In 2002 he oversaw the conduct of the 8th Australian Masters Games in Newcastle that set a record attendance of over 12,000 participants. In 2002 he was named as a finalist in the Australian Sports Awards Administrator of the Year.
In 2004-5 he was the head coach of the Hunter Pirates
Hunter Pirates
The Hunter Pirates were an Australian basketball team, based in the city of Newcastle, that competed in the National Basketball League.-Team history:...
. In that year he took the Pirates from last place the previous year (where they had 2 wins) to 15 wins and the playoffs. He was named the NBL Coach of the Year in 2004. He coached the Pirates in 2005-06 and once again they made the playoffs.The Pirates were sold to Singapore for the next season and Hurley retired and now lives in Newcastle.
In 2007 he was elected President of Basketball NSW a position he will hold until the end of 2010.
Honours
Hurley was named as the NSW Coach of the Year for basketball in 1975, NSW Waratah League Coach of the Year in 2002 and 2003and was named the Newcastle and Hunter region Coach of the Yearin 2003. In 1991 he was awarded an Award of Merit by Prime Minister Hawke for his contributions to the Australian Institute of Sport. He was awarded a Basketball Australia Merit Award. In 2000 he received the Australian Sports Medal. He was a Torch Bearer for the 2000 Olympics. In 2004-5 NBL season he won the NBL Coach of the Year. Hurley is a Life Member of the Australian Basketball Coaches Association. He was awarded the Sports Australia Eunice Gill Sports Educator of the Year in 1990. He is a Life Member of the Illawarra Basketball Association and Basketball Australia. He was inducted into the Basketball AustraliaBasketball Australia
Basketball Australia is the governing and controlling body of basketball in Australia, responsible for the development and promotion of the sport at all levels.Formed in 1939 the organisation was constituted in 1946...
Hall of Fame as a coach in 2004. In 1991 he was awarded the Order of Australia Medal.