Gordon Herbert


Gordon Walter Herbert is a Canadian professional basketball coach and a retired professional basketball player. He is the current head coach of Avtodor of the VTB United League.

Playing career

Herbert attended two-year North Idaho College in Coeur d'Alene, and transferred to the University of Idaho in Moscow in 1979, where he played college basketball for the Vandals under head coach Don Monson. Prior to his senior season in he injured his wrist and was redshirted; the Vandals were and went to the NCAA tournament as Big Sky champions. As a fifth-year senior in 1981–82, Herbert started at forward and Idaho won its first sixteen games, went in the regular season, and were sixth in the AP and UPI they advanced to the Sweet Sixteen, and finished with the best record in school history While undefeated at 15–0, an article on the team appeared in Sports Illustrated.
After college, he played professionally in Finland for 12 years with various teams. His club playing career ended in 1994, when he started coaching.
Herbert also played with the senior Canadian national team at the 1984 Summer Olympics, where the team finished just out of the medals, in fourth place. He also played with Canada at the 1986 FIBA World Championship.

Coaching career

Herbert has coached many teams, including Frankfurt Skyliners, with which he won the German League title in 2004. He led the Skyliners to their 3rd German League finals appearance, against the league's first place Brose Bamberg, after beating other top-rated German teams, such as Alba Berlin, in the playoffs. He also coached French teams Paris and Pau Orthez, with which he won the French Cup in the 2006–07 season.
On July 7, 2007, he officially became the head basketball coach of the Greek club Aris. Herbert has also been an assistant coach of the NBA's Toronto Raptors. In the 2015–16 season, Herbert won the FIBA Europe Cup with Fraport, after his team defeated Pallacanestro Varese in the Final. Herbert was also named the German Basketball Bundesliga Coach of the Year that season.
Herbert's contract with the Skyliners ended in May 2020.
On July 2, 2020, he has signed with Avtodor of the VTB United League.

Coaching titles