About
Brendan Joyce, High Performance Leader

Brendan Joyce is a Leader in High Performance and one of the most successful coaches of the Australian National Basketball League. Joyce coached the Wollongong Hawks and more recently the Gold Coast Blaze. Brendan was also the Assistant coach for the Australian Olympic Teams in Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008.  Brendan Joyce is currently the Head coach of the the Australian Opals who has Won the Bronze medal at Turkey for the 2014 World Championships for women. Brendan will coach the Opals at the Olympics In Rio in 2016.

Born in Melbourne, Victoria growing up playing both Basketball and Australian Rules Football he received an offer to play for the North Melbourne Kangaroos. However, Joyce decided to continue his Basketball and went on to become a top National Basketball League player for 13 years. Joyce has a combined playing and coaching tally amassing over a record 700 games.

Coaching career

Brendan Joyce started his coaching with the Ballarat Miners in 1994 to 1996 and won 2 CBA Championships and then began  his NBL coaching career with the small town Wollongong Hawks. There he built and developed the Hawks program with young players such as 19 year olds Glen Saville, David Andersen (NBA) and 22 year old CJ Bruton whom later in their career became dual Olympians. Having a moderate to low budget Joyce developed his team by playing young players along with some veterans. It wasn't always smooth sailing with Joyce having a losing record in his first 2 seasons while blooding youngsters Glen Saville and Mat Campbell with big minutes. However in the third year the Hawks became a feared powerhouse and consistent winning team breaking many records for the next 10 years. In 2007 Brendan Joyce also coached the Gold Coast Blaze for two years and led the Blaze to the NBL finals in their inaugural year and were the first ever Gold Coast team to make a National final series. Brendan Joyce has also been the assistant coach of the Australian National Boomers team from 2001 until 2008

Coaching Achievements

Australian National Basketball League

  • Joyce has coached more than 400 NBL games, Wollongong Hawks and Gold Coast Blaze
  • 9 x NBL finals
  • 7 x NBL Final 4
  • NBL Championship Coach 2001 Wollongong Hawks
  • 1 st New South Wales team to win the NBL Championship
  • NBL Runner Up Coach 2005
  • 2 x NBL Coach of the year in 1999 and 2001
  • 2 x NBL Coach of the year Runner up 2005 and 2008
  • Gold Coast Region Coach of the Year 2008
  • 1 st Gold Coast team to make a National Final series 2008

SEABL / CBA/VBA Coach

  • 2 x CBA Back to Back Championship Coach 1995 and 1996 Ballarat Miners
  • 2 x CBA Coach of the Year 1995 and 1996
  • VBA runner Up 1996
  • VBA Coach of the Year 1996

Australian Team

  • 2001-2008 Assistant Coach Australian Boomers
  • 2008 Olympic Games Beijing
  • 2004 Olympic Games Athens
  • 2006 World Championships Japan
  • 2006 Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist
  • 2013-2016 Head Coach Australian Opals

Playing career

Joyce began his senior NBL playing career with the Nunawading Spectres in the NBL inaugural year 1979. Joyce was renowned for tough defensive play and ability to penetrate and create opportunities for his team mates and was one of the all time league leaders in assists for many years.

Australian National Basketball League

  • 289 NBL games played for Nunawading Spectres ,Westside Melbourne Saints , Brisbane Bullets
  • Captain of 2 NBL Teams Nunawading Spectres ,Westside Melbourne Saints
  • Joyce played in NBL final series eight times
  • NBL Runner Up 1981
  • Averaging approx 10 points per game, 6 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals.
  • Career high 32 points vs. Melbourne Tigers 1985
  • Career high 19 assists vs. Sydney Kings 1985
  • Career high 8 three point shots made vs. Hobart 1990
  • Winner of Most Assists 1988
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