The Trail Blazers plan to hire longtime NBA coach Jay Triano as an assistant on new head coach Micah Nori‘s staff, reports NBA insider Chris Haynes (via Twitter).
Joe Freeman of The Oregonian (subscriber link), who confirms the news, notes that this will be Triano’s second stint in Portland, as he was also an assistant with the team from 2012-16.
Triano, 67, spent last season as an assistant with the Mavericks. He’s also spent time with Sacramento, Charlotte, Phoenix and Toronto.
Triano became the first Canadian-born head coach in NBA history in during the 2008/09 campaign when he took over as interim coach of the Raptors. He was promoted to the full-time job the following summer and spent two more years as Toronto’s top coach. Triano also had a one-year stint as head coach of the Suns. Overall, he compiled a 108-200 record in 308 career games.
In addition to being familiar with Damian Lillard and the city of Portland, Triano has ties to Nori, whom he promoted to be an assistant with Toronto nearly two decades ago, writes Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal.
Former Jazz assistant coach Mike Williamswho interviewed for Portland’s top job, is reportedly joining Nori’s staff as well.
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