Michael Bree appointed head coach of Ireland basketball team
The former Ireland captain takes charge of the team from 1 September and has signed a four-year contract ahead of their upcoming of FIBA EuroBasket 2029 pre-qualifiers, which begin in November.
Bree – who won over 40 caps for Ireland between 2000 and 2006 – is currently assistant with Denmark's senior men's team and will start his new role at the conclusion of their FIBA Basketball World Cup qualifying campaign.
Advertisement
Bree has been with the Danish national team since 2023. Previously, the 45-year-old spent five years as Sweden's U16 and U18 men's head coach and worked with Gothenburg's Högsbo Basket, following an eight-year professional playing career in France, Germany, Spain, Poland and Sweden between 2002 and 2010.
After leaving Sligo in 1998, Bree played college basketball at NCAA Division 1 programme Davidson College in North Carolina. Bree captained the team in his junior and senior season, earning MVP honours in each. Only one other person has managed to achieve this in school history – four-time NBA champion Steph Curry – who was recruited to the school at the end of Bree's time there.
Commenting on his appointment, Bree said: 'I am delighted and honoured to be taking on this new role within Basketball Ireland. I'm ecstatic to have the good fortune to represent our basketball nation once again on the international stage. We are an emerging nation within the international basketball community and to have the opportunity to add value to the programme is immensely motivating and makes me very proud.
'Throughout my career, Irish basketball has presented me with so many wonderful experiences and opened numerous doors to new and exciting possibilities. My wish is to offer at least as much in return, as we navigate the potential challenges that high-level competitive international basketball can present.'
Bree has honed a background in player development too, through his role as Programme Director at RIG Mark Basketball, which he has held since 2014. The programme is tasked with developing elite level international players for Sweden's men's and women's teams. In the last seven years, the academy has produced 24 current and alumni players for the U20 and U18 programmes, 18 NCAA D1 scholarship students, 24 professional players and most recently an NBA draft pick in 2024.
Basketball Ireland CEO, John Feehan, said: 'There's been a huge interest in this position from coaches at home, in Europe and beyond, which is a testament to the growing respect for the ability of Irish players to compete at the highest level. Michael's commitment to the ongoing development of Irish basketball mirrors Basketball Ireland's ambition for the growth of the sport. I'm looking forward to seeing what he brings to the role in the over the next four years.'
Bree will now turn his attentions to appointing his backroom team, who are set to take charge of the side for Ireland's upcoming 'JYSK Summer Series' game with Norway on 26 July at the National Basketball Arena. Ireland's women are also playing on the same day and tickets for the double header are on sale through Basketball Ireland.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
‘Irish Harry Kane' - Roma fans hail Ferguson as Ireland striker scores again
He's barely at the club a few days, but already fans of AS Roma are gushing over Evan Ferguson. The Ireland striker could hardly have asked for a better start when he scored four goals and produced one assist in a 9-0 thumping of Serie D side UniPomezia, which was played behind closed doors at the club's training ground. But Saturday's pre-season friendly away to Kaiserslautern, at a full Fritz-Walter Stadion, was always going to provide a much tougher test for the on-loan star. However, it didn't take Ferguson long to deliver. His 16th minute goal was enough to earn the Serie A side the win. And his overall performance, where he led a high press that new boss Gian Piero Gasperini brought with him from his former club Atalanta, brought him much love from the club's fantatical support base. Many took to social media to give their verdicts on the Irishman's display. Here are some of the highlights: 'Athletically not at their sharpest, as is expected at this stage of preparation, but man, I love the style of play. That man-to-man pressure, the compactness, etc ... Few risks conceded, interesting passing patterns. Ferguson is just a joy to watch!' 'Keep it up, Rome! Great job Ferguson' 'Our Irish Harry Kane' One fan even referenced the loan deal from Brighton, which has a €40million option to buy at the end of the season, writing: 'Sooooooooooooooo can we just buy him outright now?!' Another kept it simple, just posting, 'Evan', followed by 28 love heart emojis in Roma colours. Many Roma fans were producing Irish flag emojis - and after years of heartache, one wrote: 'Another goal from Ferguson. Is it already okay to get our hopes up?' Ferguson's arrival could spell bad news for Roma's 28-year-old Ukraine striker Artem Dovbyk. 'At 20 years old, (Ferguson) already shows character and desire. Honestly, it's very promising. The only doubt I have is that after a year of Dovbyk, seeing a striker who moves into spaces, attacks, and holds up the ball feels incredible. It's still too early to get carried away. But he looks promising.' Another posted: 'This year will be tough for Dovbyk. This guy (Ferguson) is really strong.' One asked: 'When is he being presented with the golden boot?' Other posts included: 'Mark my words, this season Evan Ferguson will make the difference in Italian League! Rt if you agree!' 'Evan Ferguson is in some the best hands for production and maximising attacking talent playing under Gasperini' 'Evan Ferguson bout to win serie a golden boot calling it now' 'I'm buying all the available Evan Ferguson stocks' 'I love Evan Ferguson in this team so much' Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email .
Irish Independent
2 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Evan Ferguson scores fifth goal in two games for Roma to set up friendly win over Kaiserslautern
The Irish striker hit the ground running with his new club by scoring four times in a training ground success over Serie D opposition earlier this week. There was a dramatic contrast on Saturday afternoon as the 20-year-old was in a packed stadium, leading the line for Gian Piero Gasperini's side against a side that is currently in the German second tier. He made the most of the opportunity by capitalising on a first half goalkeeping error by Julian Krahl to win possession and slot the ball into the empty net. Ferguson was replaced after an hour. His next game will be against Cannes on Thursday.
The Irish Sun
3 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Irish rugby legend Ronan O'Gara gets POOED ON live on Sky Sports after Lions' epic comeback win over Australia
RONAN O'GARA was given an unwelcome gift by a bird while LIVE on air. Irish rugby legend O'Gara was working as a pundit for Sky Sports during the Advertisement 5 Ronan O'Gara was pooed on by a viewer flying by 5 Will Greenwood pointed out the new coat decoration on his arm 5 The poo landed on his left arm 5 Fans and the rest of the panel had a laugh at the 48-year-old's expense 5 O'Gara had a stunned reaction as he tried to find the white spot However, a winged viewer flying by decided that the 48-year-old's coat needed some extra decoration. And while he stood alongside colleagues discussing Hugo Keenan's last-gasp winning try, Will Greenwood spotted that O'Gara had been POOED on. He said: "Oh a bird has just pooed on Ronan." The group then shared a laugh at O'Gara's expense as he frantically tried to find where Greenwood had pointed it out. Advertisement READ MORE IN RUGBY A voice can then be heard saying: "That's lucky for some but not for Ronan." Fans behind the panel also poked fun at O'Gara for the unfortunate incident. Greenwood then adds: "La Rochelle are going to win the European Cup." O'Gara eventually laughs off the incident, though we expect his coat to receive some TLC to remove the poo. Advertisement Most read in Rugby Union Breaking BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK And while the unusual present might not be seen as too lucky by O'Gara, the Lions certainly did find some luck in their match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. They moved 2-0 over Australia in the series, but only after coming back from 26-17 down in the 53rd minute. Australia 26 British and Irish Lions 29- Historic Test series whitewash on the cards as Lions complete epic comeback Keenan's late winner has now set the scene for a potential clean sweep when the sides clash again at the weekend. Advertisement
