NZ Breakers appoint Petteri Koponen as new head coach

Petteri Koponen will be the Breakers' head coach. Photo / Getty Images

The New Zealand Breakers have appointed Petteri Koponen as their new head coach ahead of the 2024/25 season.

The Finnish coach replaces Mody Maor, who the Breakers reluctantly allowed a release from his deal with a year remaining after he received an offer from Asia.

Maor subsequently signed a two-year deal with Nagasaki Velka in Japan’s B League.

Koponen, 36, will join the club following a stint in the NBA Summer League as assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs.

He has also had a successful coaching career in Europe, including two years in the EuroLeague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament, where he led his team to the final in 2022. Breakers owner Matt Walsh described Koponen as one of the best young coaches in the world and said the club were lucky to have secured his services.

Walsh said the head coaching position at the Breakers was highly sought-after and they had received amazing interest from coaches all over the world.

He added that Koponen, a former player himself, had seamlessly transitioned to coaching and shared his vision of growing the game of basketball in New Zealand.

As the new head coach, Koponen will take on a lot of responsibility.

His appointment followed an exhaustive search that included consideration of coaches from various countries and even former NBA head coaches.

The Breakers will be hoping that Koponen’s experience and expertise will help lead the team to success in the upcoming season.