Adam Caporn named Long Island Nets head coach, replacing Bret Brielmaier

The Long Island Nets have named Adam Caporn the fifth head coach in franchise history, the team announced Tuesday...

Caporn, 39, has spent the last seven seasons as head coach of Basketball Australia’s Centre of Excellence, which is the country’s leading player development program. In a video posted on LinkedIn, Caporn spoke about his development philosophy, arguing that coaches should “avoid auto pilot,” that the process is often not “linear,” but “messy, difficult, arduous.”

Caporn, in fact, has been sought out for in-depth discussions of development not just in Australia but in the U.S. as well.

He currently holds a position as an assistant coach for the Australian National Team — the Boomers — and will help the team in the upcoming Tokyo Olympic Games. (Team USA will face off against the Boomers in an exhibition game next Monday in Las Vegas.)

Caporn has been an assistant with the Boomers since 2017 and works with Will Weaver — a former Long Island Nets head coach who is also an assistant on the Boomers and an assistant on the Houston Rockets. Before serving as an assistant, Caporn was the head coach of Australia’s U19 National Team from 2014-16.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Adam and his family to Long Island,” said Long Island Nets General Manager Matt Riccardi. “Adam’s accomplished record of developing players and driving culture on the international, professional and amateur levels has prepared him well to lead the Long Island Nets. We look forward to seeing how his extensive knowledge of the game and focus on individual development will shape the team’s promising talent on and off the court.”

Caporn was an assistant coach at Saint Mary’s College of California for four seasons (2010-14) and played at Saint Mary’s for two collegiate seasons (2001-03). He spent one season as the scholarship assistant coach at the Centre of Excellence (2010-11), the head coach of the NBL’s East Perth Eagles (2007-08) and an assistant with the Willetton Tigers in the NBL during his playing career — Illawarra Hawks (2003-06), Wellington Saints (2004) and the Perth Wildcats (2006-09).

The appointment of Caporn is the latest in a line of Down Under hires by Brooklyn. The Nets director of sports science, Dan Meehan, director of medical services and Daniel Jones, physical performance coach, are a big part of the Nets performance team. Sean Marks, of course, is a native of New Zealand.

The fifth head coach in franchise history replaces Bret Brielmaier, who went 7-8 in the G League ‘bubble’ this past season. Brielmaier served as an assistant for Brooklyn the previous four seasons and is well-known for recruiting Joe Harris — who he worked with in Cleveland — to the Nets in 2016. He also helped develop Jarrett Allen during his time on Brooklyn’s bench. Brielmaier also spent three seasons as an assistant with the Cleveland Cavaliers and was a part of the 2016 NBA Championship team.

Brooklyn currently has an open spot on their bench after losing Ime Udoka to the Boston Celtics.

• LONG ISLAND NETS NAME ADAM CAPORN HEAD COACH - Long Island Nets