# NBL Coach of the Year Award

National Basketball League awards and honors :
Championship :
Dr John Raschke Trophy :
Individual awards :
Most Valuable Player
Fans MVP
Best Sixth Man
Next Generation
Good Hands (defunct)
Rookie of the Year (defunct)
Grand Final MVP
Best Defensive Player
Most Improved Player
Coach of the Year
Most Efficient Player (defunct) :
Honours :
All-NBL Team
Scoring champion :
vte :
The National Basketball League Coach of the Year is an annual National Basketball League (NBL) award given since the 1980 NBL season to the best head coach of the regular season. As of the 2023–24 season, the head coach, assistant coach and captain of each team vote for the Coach of the Year. Voters are not allowed to vote for the coach of their own team. The winner receives the Lindsay Gaze Trophy, which is named in honour of legendary NBL coach and Basketball Hall of Famer Lindsay Gaze.
In 2015–16, Townsville Crocodiles head coach Shawn Dennis became the first coach in NBL history to be named Coach of the Year with the combination of a losing record and without qualifying for the Finals. Adrian Hurley (2005) is the only other recipient with a losing record – honoured after leading the Hunter Pirates to the Finals with a 15–17 record – while Robbie Cadee (1983) is the only other recipient to have missed the Finals – honoured after leading the Bankstown Bruins to a seventh-placed finish with a 12–10 record.

## Winners

| Year | Player | Nationality | Team |
| 1980 | Barry Barnes | Australia | Nunawading Spectres |
| 1981 | Bob Turner | Australia | Newcastle Falcons |
| 1982 | Cal Bruton | United States | Geelong Cats |
| 1983 | Robbie Cadee | Australia | Bankstown Bruins |
| 1984 | Brian Kerle | Australia | Brisbane Bullets |
| 1985 | Bob Turner (2) | Australia | Canberra Cannons |
| 1986 | Ken Cole | Australia | Adelaide 36ers |
| 1987 | David Lindstrom | Australia | Illawarra Hawks |
| 1988 | Bruce Palmer | United States | North Melbourne Giants |
| 1989 | Lindsay Gaze | Australia | Melbourne Tigers |
| 1990 | Brian Kerle (2) | Australia | Brisbane Bullets |
| 1991 | Murray Arnold | Australia | Perth Wildcats |
| 1992 | Brian Goorjian | United States | South East Melbourne Magic |
| 1993 | Alan Black | Australia | Illawarra Hawks |
| 1994 | Brett Brown | United States | North Melbourne Giants |
| 1995 | Alan Black (2) Thomas Wisman | Australia Australia | Illawarra Hawks Newcastle Falcons |
| 1996 | Brett Flanigan | Australia | Canberra Cannons |
| 1997 | Lindsay Gaze (2) Brian Goorjian (2) | Australia United States | Melbourne Tigers South East Melbourne Magic |
| 1998 | Brian Goorjian (3) | United States | South East Melbourne Magic |
| 1998–99 | Lindsay Gaze (3) Brendan Joyce | Australia Australia | Melbourne Tigers Wollongong Hawks |
| 1999–2000 | Ian Stacker | Australia | Townsville Crocodiles |
| 2000–01 | Brendan Joyce (2) | Australia | Wollongong Hawks |
| 2001–02 | Brian Goorjian (4) | United States | Victoria Titans |
| 2002–03 | Ian Stacker (2) | Australia | Townsville Crocodiles |
| 2003–04 | Joey Wright | United States | Brisbane Bullets |
| 2004–05 | Adrian Hurley | Australia | Hunter Pirates |
| 2005–06 | Al Westover | United States | Melbourne Tigers |
| 2006–07 | Joey Wright (2) | United States | Brisbane Bullets |
| 2007–08 | Brian Goorjian (5) | United States | Sydney Kings |
| 2008–09 | Brian Goorjian (6) | United States | South Dragons |
| 2009–10 | Gordie McLeod | Australia | Wollongong Hawks |
| 2010–11 | Trevor Gleeson | Australia | Townsville Crocodiles |
| 2011–12 | Andrej Lemanis | Australia | New Zealand Breakers |
| 2012–13 | Andrej Lemanis (2) | Australia | New Zealand Breakers |
| 2013–14 | Gordie McLeod (2) | Australia | Wollongong Hawks |
| 2014–15 | Aaron Fearne | Australia | Cairns Taipans |
| 2015–16 | Shawn Dennis | Australia | Townsville Crocodiles |
| 2016–17 | Joey Wright (3) | United States | Adelaide 36ers |
| 2017–18 | Dean Vickerman | Australia | Melbourne United |
| 2018–19 | Dean Vickerman (2) | Australia | Melbourne United |
| 2019–20 | Mike Kelly | United States | Cairns Taipans |
| 2020–21 | Trevor Gleeson (2) | Australia | Perth Wildcats |
| 2021–22 | Scott Roth | United States | Tasmania JackJumpers |
| 2022–23 | Adam Forde | Australia | Cairns Taipans |
| 2023–24 | Dean Vickerman (3) | Australia | Melbourne United |
| 2024–25 | Justin Tatum | United States | Illawarra Hawks |