INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Pacers have hired former Toronto assistant Nate Bjorkgren as their new head coach.
Bjorkgren spent the last two seasons on the staff of Raptors coach Nick Nurse and helped Toronto win its first NBA title in 2018-19.
It’s the first NBA head coaching job for the 45-year-old Bjorkgren. He also spent two years as an assistant coach with the Phoenix Suns, and was a head coach in the developmental G League from 2011-15 with Dakota/Santa Cruz, Iowa and Bakersfield.
Bjorkgren got his professional coaching start under Nurse as an assistant with Iowa from 2007-11.
Bjorkgren takes over from Nate McMillan, who was fired after the Pacers were swept by Miami in the first round of the 2019-20 playoffs.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 20, 2020.
The Canadian Press