Gordon Herbert

Gordon Walter Herbert (born February 16, 1959) is a Canadian-born Finnish  professional basketball coach and former player. He was named the head coach of the Germany national team in 2021 and guided them to a bronze medal at the EuroBasket 2022, and to the gold medal at the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

Playing career
Born and raised in Penticton, British Columbia, 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 1980–81, he injured his left wrist and was redshirted; the Vandals were 25–4 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 24–2 in the regular season, and were sixth in the AP and UPI polls. They advanced to the Sweet Sixteen,  and finished with the best record in school history at 27–3. While undefeated at 15–0, an article on the team appeared in Sports Illustrated. Twice during the regular season, Herbert was the Big Sky player of the week, and was second team all-conference.

After college, he moved to Hyvinkää, Finland, in 1982, and joined Hyvinkään Tahko. In total, Herbert played professionally in Finland for 12 years with various teams. His club playing career ended in 1994, when he started coaching.

International career
Herbert also played with the senior Canadian national team at the 1984 Summer Olympics, where they finished just out of medal position in fourth place. He also played with Canada at the 1986 FIBA World Championship.

Coaching career
After ending his professional playing career in Finland, Herbert stayed in the country and started his coaching career in 1994 with Korihait in Uusikaupunki, before moving to Espoon Honka in 1996.

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 Toronto Raptors in National Basketball Association (NBA). In the 2015–16 season, Herbert won the FIBA Europe Cup with the Skyliners, 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 signed with Avtodor of the VTB United League. He was sacked in March 2021.

In September 2021, he was named head coach of the Germany national team. He guided the German team to a bronze medal at the 2022 European Championships and to the gold medal in the 2023 World Cup. On 17 December 2023, Herbert was named the Coach of the Year in Germany. On 11 January 2024, Herbert was named the Coach of the Year also in Finland, by the Finnish sports journalists. On 16 May 2024, it was reported that Herbert will leave the Germany national team after the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

Coaching titles

 * Germany (2021–):
 * FIBA World Cup: 2023
 * Skyliners Frankfurt (2001–04, 2010–11, 2013–2020):
 * Basketball Bundesliga: 2003–04
 * FIBA Europe Cup: 2015–16
 * Élan Béarnais Pau-Orthez (2006–07):
 * French Cup: 2006–07
 * Espoon Honka (1996–99, 2009–10):
 * Finnish Cup: 2009

Personal life
Born in Canada, Herbert acquired Finnish citizenship via naturalization in the late 1980s. He is a fluent Finnish speaker. His son Daniel Herbert is also a basketball coach, currently working as an assistant coach of Crailsheim Merlins in Basketball Bundesliga. In September 2023, Herbert said in an interview that he wishes, someday in the future, to end his coaching career in Finnish Korisliiga.

Herbert owns a house in Uusikaupunki and a summer house in Pyhämaa, and visits there frequently.