Jay Triano

Jay Triano (born September 21, 1958 in Tillsonburg, Ontario, raised in Niagara Falls, Ontario) is an NBA assistant coach with the Toronto Raptors.

Triano, having gained wide attention as the former Canadian Olympic basketball team head coach, and former National basketball team player, who competed in two Summer Olympics, starting in 1984.As a student at Simon Fraser University, Triano held 11 school records including most career points with 2616. He was drafted in the later rounds of the 1981 NBA Draft by the LA Lakers but never played in the NBA.

Triano was a national team player from 1978-90, captained the team from 1981-1988 and played in the 1984 and 1988 Olympics. He led the Canadian team that won Gold at the 1983 World University Games in Edmonton, Alberta. He played three seasons of professional ball, two in Mexico and one in Europe.

After retiring as a player, he became head coach at his alma mater, Simon Fraser University. In 1995, when the Vancouver Grizzlies debuted, he became Director of Community Relations and worked as the colour commentator for their radio broadcasts. In 1999, Triano became the head coach of the Canadian national men's basketball team. He led them to a 5-2 record and 7th place finish in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, losing to France by just five points in the quarter-finals. Three years later, he became assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors, becoming the first Canadian-born coach in the NBA. He served under Lenny Wilkins, Kevin O'Neil, and currently Sam Mitchell.

Triano was recently named an assistant coach for USA Basketball and still serves as an assistant coach with the Raptors. [http://www.tsn.ca/nba/news_story/?ID=215352&hubname=] On February 13, 2008 Triano served as head coach of the Toronto Raptors in their 109-91 victory over the New Jersey Nets, in place of head coach Sam Mitchell who was absent from the team as a result of the passing of his father-in-law, making history as the first Canadian to serve as head coach for a regular-season NBA game. [http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5jEjOslmXql-9Q2lpXFxoFdfEMa0g] .

ources

* [http://www.basketball.bc.ca/Hall%20of%20Fame/JayTriano.htm BC Sports Hall of Fame]
* [http://www.nba.com/coachfile/jay_triano/index.html?nav=page NBA profile]
* [http://www.nba.com/canada/Meet_Jay_Triano-Canada_Generic_Article-18073.html NBA Canada profile]
* [http://www.nfpl.library.on.ca/swof/default.asp?pg=detail&rec=105 Niagara Falls Public Library's Virtual Sports Wall of Fame]
* [http://www.thestar.com/printArticle/242816 "www.thestar.com"]