Bruce Palmer (basketball)
Encyclopedia
Bruce Palmer is an American-born basketball
coach, best known as a colourful head coach
in Australia
's NBL
. He is currently the head coach for the Brisbane Capitals in the Australian Basketball Association
League.
Palmer began coaching in the NBL in 1987 with the North Melbourne Giants
, after coaching the Dandenong Rangers
in the VBA. In 1988 he was awarded NBL Coach of the Year
though the Giants would lose the NBL Grand Final series to the Canberra Cannons
. The following year, Giant Scott Fisher
was named the league's Most Valuable Player
and the Giants won the Championship over the Cannons in a reversal of the previous years series.
Palmer moved to the Brisbane Bullets
in 1993, although he was unsuccessful in bringing the team the level of success he saw with the Giants. He left the team after three seasons and took a break from coaching in the NBL, during which he coached representative youth basketball. In 1998 he worked as an assistant coach with the Brisbane Bullets under head coach Brian Kerle.
Between 2000 and 2003, Palmer coached in Asia and the Middle East before returning to the NBL as head coach of the Hunter Pirates
. Palmer was fired part way through the season in a controversial management decision.
He is the seventh winningest coach in NBL history, with a win-loss record of 184-104.
Since 2004, Palmer has coached representative youth basketball as both head coach and assistant coach, including the Australian Under 20 men's team.
Palmer is married with two sons, Jay and Kyle.
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, best known as a colourful head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
in 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...
's NBL
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....
. He is currently the head coach for the Brisbane Capitals in the Australian Basketball Association
Australian Basketball Association
The Australian Basketball Association, often abbreviated to the ABA, is the second-tiered semi-professional men's and women's basketball minor leagues in Australia which sit under the professional National Basketball League and Women's National Basketball League .The ABA is representative of the...
League.
Palmer began coaching in the NBL in 1987 with the North Melbourne Giants
North Melbourne Giants
The North Melbourne Giants were an Australian basketball team, that played in Melbourne, Victoria, in the National Basketball League.-History :The team was formed in 1980 as the Coburg Giants and were renamed in 1987 as the North Melbourne Giants...
, after coaching the Dandenong Rangers
Dandenong Rangers
The Dandenong Jayco Rangers are an Australian Women's Basketball League team based in Melbourne, Australia. Historically, they have been one of the more successful franchises in league history, but over recent years have struggled to make the playoffs, generally finishing 5th or below...
in the VBA. In 1988 he was awarded NBL Coach of the Year
NBL (Australia) Coach of the Year
The NBL Coach of the Year award takes into account regular-season performances only, and is voted on by head coaches, assistant coaches and team captains on a 3-2-1 basis.* 1980 Barry Barnes...
though the Giants would lose the NBL Grand Final series to the Canberra Cannons
Canberra Cannons
The Canberra Cannons were a basketball team competing in the Australian National Basketball League. They went into financial administration in 2003 and were relocated to Newcastle, where they became the Hunter Pirates...
. The following year, Giant Scott Fisher
Scott Fisher
Scott Fisher may refer to:*Scott Fisher *Scott Fisher See also*Scott Fischer, American climber*Scott Fischer, Author...
was named the league's Most Valuable Player
NBL (Australia) Most Valuable Player
At the conclusion of each NBL game, both coaches award votes to the best players from that game. Each coach has 10 votes to allocate, with no more than 5 to be awarded to one player by each coach....
and the Giants won the Championship over the Cannons in a reversal of the previous years series.
Palmer moved to the Brisbane Bullets
Brisbane Bullets
The Brisbane Bullets were, until 2008, a professional basketball team competing in Australia's National Basketball League. The Bullets were one of only two teams that survived since the NBL's inception in 1979; the only surviving team is now the Wollongong Hawks. The team played in Midnight Navy...
in 1993, although he was unsuccessful in bringing the team the level of success he saw with the Giants. He left the team after three seasons and took a break from coaching in the NBL, during which he coached representative youth basketball. In 1998 he worked as an assistant coach with the Brisbane Bullets under head coach Brian Kerle.
Between 2000 and 2003, Palmer coached in Asia and the Middle East before returning to the NBL as 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:...
. Palmer was fired part way through the season in a controversial management decision.
He is the seventh winningest coach in NBL history, with a win-loss record of 184-104.
Since 2004, Palmer has coached representative youth basketball as both head coach and assistant coach, including the Australian Under 20 men's team.
Palmer is married with two sons, Jay and Kyle.