Will Voigt
| Nigeria | |
|---|---|
| Position | Head coach |
| Personal information | |
| Born |
August 18, 1976 Cabot, Vermont |
| Nationality | American |
| Career information | |
| High school | Cabot (Cabot, Vermont) |
| College | Pomona |
| Coaching career | 1998–present |
| Career history | |
| As coach: | |
| 1998–1999 | Los Angeles Clippers (intern) |
| 1999–2001 | San Antonio Spurs (video coord.) |
| 2001–2002 | Texas (asst.) |
| 2002–2003 | Metro State (asst.) |
| 2002–2006 | Ulriken Elite |
| 2006–2009 | Vermont Frost Heaves |
| 2009–2014 | Bakersfield Jam |
| 2014–2015 | Shanxi Brave Dragons (asst.) |
| 2015–present | Nigeria |
Will Voigt is an American basketball coach, who is currently the head coach of the Nigeria national basketball team. [1] He led the Nigerian team to its first ever AfroBasket title in August 2015, where they defeated Angola in the finals to qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.[2]
Early life
Voigt grew in Cabot, Vermont, and attended Cabot High School, where he played varsity basketball and soccer. He attended Pomona College in California for college, lettering in soccer, and graduating with a degree in political science.[3]
Coaching Career
During college, Voigt landed an internship with the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers. After graduation, he became a video coordinator with the San Antonio Spurs, and a year later entered the college coaching ranks taking on an assistant role with Texas under Rick Barnes. Voigt moved on to Division II powerhouse Metro State as an assistant for Mike Dunlap.
Voigt's first head coaching job came in Norway, taking over Ulriken Elite where he stayed from 2003 to 2006. When Sports Illustrated writer Alexander Wolff decided to purchase an ABA franchise, the Vermont Frost Heaves, he put the naming of the head coach to a vote by the fans. The Vermont native Voigt was selected.[4] In the first two seasons of the franchise's existence, Voigt led the Frost Heaves to back-to-back ABA Championships.
In 2009, Voigt, in similar fashion, was selected by the fans to be the head coach of the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Development League.[5] Voigt led the Jam to three playoff appearances, before leaving the team in 2014.
Heading back abroad, Voigt spent one season as an assistant coach for the Shanxi Brave Dragons of the Chinese Basketball Association. Voigt was then selected to lead the Nigerian national team at AfroBasket 2015, with Nigeria winning its first title, and automatic qualification to the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Personal Life
Voigt's mother, Ellen Bryant Voigt is the former Poet Laureate of the state of Vermont.
References
- ↑ "NBBF hires Will Voigt to lead D'Tigers to Afrobasket and All African Games; may lead team to Rio 2016 Olympic Games". Basketball. Retrieved 2015-09-16.
- ↑ "Nigeria defeats Angola to win first-ever FIBA African Championship title in historic Afrobasket 2015 finals". Basketball. Retrieved 2015-09-16.
- ↑ http://www.vermonttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070211/FEATURES/702110313&template=printart
- ↑ http://www.si.com/longform/2015/frost-heaves/
- ↑ http://www.ridiculousupside.com/2009/7/31/971483/bakersfield-jam-names-will-voigt