Ex-Wildcats assistant Jacob Chance earns chance to coach Australian Boomers in first games since Olympics

Former Perth Wildcats assistant coach Jacob Chance has been temporarily appointed Boomers head coach for Australia’s first matches since the Paris Olympics.

As Basketball Australia continues its search for Brian Goorjian’s full-time replacement, 31-year-old Chance has been promoted from his role as the Boomers’ head of video and analytics.

The Melbourne United assistant will oversee fixtures against Thailand and South Korea in the second round of qualifiers for the 2025 Asia Cup.

“Having exposure to major tournaments like the FIBA Asia Cup, World Cup, Olympics and other windows fills me with confidence for the challenge ahead,” said Chance, a former assistant coach at Perth Wildcats and Tasmania JackJumpers.

Chance began his NBL coaching journey as a video intern with the Wildcats in 2015 before being promoted to an assistant’s role under Trevor Gleeson in 2019. He was a part of four championships in Perth.

Illawarra duo Will ‘Davo’ Hickey and Lachlan Olbrich are in line for their first Boomers caps in the matches, to be held in Thailand on November 21 and 24.

Hickey has enjoyed a particularly strong start to the NBL season at the ladder-leading Hawks, with big man Olbrich touted as a possible NBA player of the future.

Olympic bronze medallists Nick Kay, Nathan Sobey and Chris Goulding are the biggest names selected for Australia’s upcoming qualifiers, for which NBA players are unavailable.

Wildcats youngster Ben Henshall is also a part of the squad.

The two qualifiers will be the Boomers’ first games since a disappointing quarter-final loss to Serbia in late July.

The Boomers have begun the process to find a permanent replacement for Goorjian, who stepped down after the Paris Games as planned.

AAP understands interviews have not yet begun for the role, but Basketball Australia expect to have unveiled their successful candidate by the end of the year.

BOOMERS SQUAD

Sam Froling, Chris Goulding, Ben Henshall, Will ‘Davo’ Hickey, Jordan Hunter, Nick Kay, Mitch Norton, Lachlan Olbrich, Nathan Sobey, DJ Vasiljevic, Jack White, Rocco Zikarsky.