Jay Triano

Jay Triano

Jay Triano (right)
Personal information
Date of birth	September 21, 1958 (1958-09-21)
Place of birth	Tillsonburg, Ontario, Canada
Career information
College	Simon Fraser University
NBA Draft	1981 / Round: 8 / Pick: 18th overall
Selected by the Los Angeles Lakers
Career history
As coach: Toronto Raptors (2008–2011)
Stats at NBA.com

Jay Triano (born September 21, 1958) is a retired Canadian professional basketball player and former head coach of the NBA's Toronto Raptors. Triano gained recognition during his tenure as coach of the Canadian men's national team. He is also a former national team player, who competed in two Olympics, starting in 1984. He was born in Tillsonburg, Ontario and raised in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

Triano is of Italian descent through his great-grandfather, who landed on Ellis Island, then made his way to Welland, Ontario. His younger brother Jeff was a draft pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1982 NHL Entry Draft after playing OHL hockey for the Toronto Marlboros.

Basketball career

As a student at Simon Fraser University, Triano broke or equalled eleven school men's basketball records, including having the most career points with 2,616. He was drafted in the eighth round of the 1981 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers, but never played in the NBA. The same year, he was also drafted by the Calgary Stampeders in the sixth round of the CFL Draft.

Triano was a national team player from 1978 to 1988, captained the team from 1981 to 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 basketball, two in Mexico and one (1985–86 season for Fenerbahçe Istanbul) in Turkey.

After retiring as a player, he became head coach at his alma mater, Simon Fraser University in 1988. In 1995, when the Vancouver Grizzlies debuted, he became team Director of Community Relations and worked as the colour commentator for their radio broadcasts. In 1998, Triano became the head coach of the Canadian national men's basketball team. He led them to a 5–2 record and a seventh-place finish in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, losing to France by just five points in the quarter-finals. Two years later, he became assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors, becoming the first Canadian-born coach in the NBA. He served under Lenny Wilkens, Kevin O'Neill, and Sam Mitchell. In 2005, he was replaced by Leo Rautins as the national team coach.

In 2008, Triano was named an assistant coach for USA Basketball. 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.

On December 3, 2008, Triano was named interim head coach of the Toronto Raptors after Sam Mitchell was relieved of his coaching duties. He became the first Canadian-born head coach in NBA history. In the season's last 13 games, Triano guided the Raptors to a 9-4 mark.

On May 12, 2009, Triano was given a three-year deal to remain head coach of the Toronto Raptors.

In Triano's first full season as the Raptors head coach, Toronto missed the playoffs by one game to the Chicago Bulls despite winning their final two games.

On June 1, 2011 the Raptors announced they would not be picking up the option on Triano's contract and would be giving him a different position within the organization.

Coaching record

Legend
Regular season	G	Games coached	W	Games won	L	Games lost	W–L %	Win-loss  %
Post season	PG	Playoff Games	PW	Playoff Wins	PL	Playoff Losses	PW–L %	Playoff Win-loss  %

Team	Year	G	W	L	W–L%	Finish	PG	PW	PL	PW–L%	Result
TOR	2008–09	65	25	40	.385	4th in Atlantic	—	—	—	—	Missed Playoffs
TOR	2009–10	82	40	42	.488	2nd in Atlantic	—	—	—	—	Missed Playoffs
TOR	2010–11	82	22	60	.268	5th in Atlantic	—	—	—	—	Missed Playoffs
Career		229	87	142	.380		—	—	—	—

See also

• Canada Basketball
• Canada men's national basketball team
• Toronto Raptors
• USA Basketball

External links

• NBA.com profile
• Basketball-Reference.com profile
• B.C. Basketball Hall of Fame page
• Niagara Falls Hall of Fame profile

Preceded by Steve Konchalski	Canada national men's basketball team head coach 1998–2005	Succeeded by Leo Rautins
Preceded by Sam Mitchell	Toronto Raptors head coach 2008–2011	Succeeded by Dwane Casey