A former National Basketball Association (NBA) coach David Fizdale has been appointed as the new head coach of the Nigeria senior men’s basketball national team D’Tigers.

The D’Tigres’ official X account announced the appointment in a post on Saturday, stating “NEWS: David Fizdale, former NBA head coach, has been named the new head coach for D’Tigers.”

With a wealth of knowledge in the NBA, including winning two championships as assistant with Miami Heat, Fizdale is expected to push Nigeria for 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup and 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games qualifications. 

The 51-year-old also had a brief stint as head coach in the league when he led Memphis Grizzlies and New York Knicks between 2016 and 2019.

Reacting to the news in an interview with ESPN, Fizdale said he was excited about the opportunity to return to the court. He noted that his goal was not only to qualify Nigeria for the Los Angeles Games but to win a medal. 

“It will be fun and exciting calling timeouts and drawing plays up again as a head coach. “It will be good to get back in that mindset of preparation and motivation,” Fizdale said.

He added, “That is going to be fun and exciting as well. But the biggest fact is the nostalgia and what is driving me to get to L.A. What is driving me the most is helping Nigeria not only qualify and win a medal, but to do that in front of my family. That would be the most special thing.”