Basketball Excellence Program - Nick Nurse
NICK NURSE
HEAD COACH OF THE TORONTO RAPTORS AND THE CANADIAN MEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL TEAM
Nick Nurse was named the ninth head coach in Toronto Raptors history on June 14, 2018, taking on the top job after five years as an assistant coach with the team. On June 13th, 2019, he became the ninth rookie head coach in league history to win an NBA Championship in their first year.
In his first season with the Raptors, Nurse led the Raptors to 58 regular-season wins, a .707 winning percentage and the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference titles. His team set franchise records for points per game (114.4), assists per game (25.4), rebounds per game (45.2), and three-point field goals made (1,105). He was named Coach of the Month for November 2018. In the 2019 postseason, Nurse’s teams went 16-8 en route to defeating the Golden State Warriors for the Raptors’ first NBA title, defeating Orlando, Philadelphia and Milwaukee, the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
Known for his offensive flair and on-court innovation, Nurse joined the Raptors as an assistant coach in 2013, and helped construct an offensive system that ranked among in the NBA’s top 10 in three of five seasons. During the 2017-18 campaign the Raptors set then-franchise records for points per game (111.7) and three-pointers made (968). The Raptors coaching staff represented the Eastern Conference at the 2018 NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles, guiding Team LeBron to a 148-145 victory over Team Stephen in the annual showdown of the league’s best players.
Nurse came to the NBA after several successful years in the NBA D League - now the NBA G League - where he was the only coach to lead two different teams to the league championship. He was named head coach of the NBA G League All-Stars three times.
Nurse coached the Rio Grande Valley Vipers to a 59-41 mark over two seasons and won the 2012-13 NBA D League championship. Prior to taking the reins in Rio Grande, Nurse coached the Iowa Energy to an overall regular season mark of 124-76 (.620) and the 2010-11 NBA D-League championship. For his accomplishments, Nurse was named the 2010-11 recipient of the Dennis Johnson Coach of the Year award.
Nurse led the Energy to back-to-back 37-13 finishes in 2009-10 and 2010-11, setting and then tying the league record for wins in a single season. Nurse led the Energy to two Eastern Conference championships and one Central Division championship.
A graduate of the University of Northern Iowa, Nurse began his coaching career at the age of 23 when he became the head coach of Grand View College, making him the youngest college basketball coach in the United States. He moved on to an assistant coach position at the University of South Dakota where his teams recorded a 46-14 mark.
Nurse coached in Europe for 11 years beginning in 1996, winning nine championships and two Coach of the Year awards while earning six All-Star head coach selections in the British Basketball League. During that time, he also gained coaching experience in Italy, Belgium and the USBL.
Nurse was named head coach of the Canadian Senior Men’s basketball team in June 2019. He has also served as an assistant coach in the 2012 Olympics for the host British National Team.
Nurse holds a career professional coaching record of 459-220 (.676) during the regular season and 76-54 (.585) in the postseason.
He is a native of Carroll, Iowa. He is married to Roberta and has three sons, Noah, Leo and Rocky.
