Nigeria Hire David Fizdale As Head Coach

David Fizdale was hired as the head coach of Nigeria's men's basketball team on Friday. "It will be fun and exciting calling timeouts and drawing plays up again as a head coach," Fizdale told ESPN Andscape in a phone interview. "It will be good to get back in that mindset of preparation and motivation. That is going to be fun and exciting as well. But the biggest fact is the nostalgia and what is driving me to get to L.A. What is driving me the most is helping Nigeria not only qualify and medal, but to do that in front of my family. That would be the most special thing." Fizdale, who is currently serving as an analyst for NBA TV, has a regular season coaching record of 71-134 with the Grizzlies and Knicks. The 51-year-old was most recently an assistant with the Suns from 2023-2025. Nigeria has made three appearances in the Olympics in 2012, 2016, and 2020 but has never medaled. The Olympic qualification journey for Nigeria begins with the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup African Qualifiers from July 2-5.
Courtesy of: realgm.com