Brendan Joyce

Brendan Joyce

Brendan Joyce is the head coach of the Australian women's national basketball team (Opals). Joyce is a former professional basketball player and head coach of the National Basketball League (Australasia) the Wollongong Hawks and the Gold Coast Blaze.

Born in Melbourne, Victoria, Brendan Joyce grew up playing both basketball and Australian rules football and received an invitation to train and play for the North Melbourne Kangaroos. Brendan Joyce decided to continue with basketball and played in the National Basketball League. Joyce played a total of 289 games in the NBL over 13 seasons, playing for the Nunawading Spectres and the Westside Melbourne Saints and finally for the Brisbane Bullets in 1991. Joyce captained both Nunawading and the Westside Melbourne Saints. Following his playing career, Brendan Joyce became one of the most successful coaches in the National Basketball League, coaching in more than 400 games.

Brendan Joyce began his senior National Basketball League playing career in 1979 with the Nunawading Spectres in the National Basketball League's inaugural year. He was a point guard with the Nunawading Spectres team that lost to Launceston Casino City in the 1981 NBL Grand Final. Joyce was renowned for his defensive play and ability to penetrate and create opportunities for his team mates and was an all time NBL league leader in assists for many years. His career highs were 32 points vs. Melbourne Tigers (1985), 19 assists vs. Sydney Kings 1985 and 8 three-point shots made vs. Hobart Devils (1990).

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