Australia did not play the best at the FIBA World Cup, but the federation believes that Brian Goorjian is still the best option.
The “Boomers” arrived at this year’s Mundobasket with high expectations. However, the result was far from great. A modest tenth place was something they had to settle for. Although it was mentioned that there could be a change of head coach, this was denied.
Despite the poor result, Australia secured passage to the Olympic Games, as they were better positioned than New Zealand. Brian Goorjian will once again lead them in that competition, as confirmed by Matt Scriven, Basketball Australia CEO:
“Brian is one of the country’s most respected and qualified coaches, he is contracted until Paris, and our support of him is unwavering. He will be at the helm of the Boomers.
The result at this World Cup is disappointing, and we will take the learnings, rebuild, and focus on a podium finish in Paris. We understand our fans are disappointed with 10th place, as are we. The players, coaching, and support staff feel the loss deeply.”
Australia was costed in the second phase of Group K by a loss to Germany, which put them in a position where a win against Slovenia was necessary. They were defeated relatively easily, but managed to finish the group with a convincing victory against Finland, which was still not enough to qualify for the quarterfinals.