Alan Black (basketball)

Alan Black is an Australian former professional basketball player and coach. He is most notable for coaching both the Perth Wildcats and the Cairns Taipans in the Australian National Basketball League.

Black has three children, sons Stephen (former NBL player) and Andrew, and daughter Marissa.

Black started his NBL playing career in the league's inaugural year, 1979, playing for the Nunawading Spectres. In 1981, he was a member of the Nunawading side that lost to Launcestion Casino City in the Grand Final that season. After seven seasons with the Spectres, Black made the move west in 1986 to play for the Perth Wildcats. In 1987, Black was once again a member of a losing Grand Final side when the Wildcats were defeated by the Brisbane Bullets. After only one more season with the Wildcats, Black retired from playing in 1988.

Black started his NBL coaching career by replacing then Wildcats head coach Cal Bruton in 1989. His rookie coaching season saw him lead the Wildcats to third on the NBL ladder (with 16 wins and 8 losses) and through to the semi-finals. In 1990 he was once again named the Wildcats head coach, but after only two games was controversially fired by the club to be replaced by Cal Bruton for the remainder of the season. That season saw the Wildcats win their very first championship with the team Black had recruited.

In 1993, Black became the head coach for the Illawarra Hawks and led the club into the quarter finals each year until he left the club at the end of the 1995 season. During his time with the Hawks, Black was named the NBL's Coach of the Year in both 1993 and 1995.

Black move to Sydney in 1996 to begin coaching the Sydney Kings. However, his tenure with the Kings was not as successful as his time with the Hawks and left the club after the 1997 season.

In 1998, Black returned to the Perth Wildcats as head coach, this time replacing Adrian Hurley. The following season Black's son, Stephen, began his NBL career with the Wildcats, appearing in a minor role to replace the injured Ricky Grace. He would eventually become a full member of the squad in 1999.

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