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Tyrone Thwaites (born 31 March 1991) is an Australian basketball coach and former player. He played five seasons in the State Basketball League (SBL) before embarking on a coaching career. In 2020, he made his debut as a head coach with the Cockburn Cougars women's team in the West Coast Classic. The following year, he guided the Cougars in the inaugural season of the NBL1 West. In 2023, he was named the NBL1 West Coach of the Year and led the Cougars to the NBL1 West championship.

Early life
Thwaites was born and raised in Western Australia. He attended CBC Fremantle in Perth, where he was school captain in 2008. He played junior basketball for the Cockburn Cougars and Rockingham Flames. He graduated from Curtin University.

Playing career
Thwaites debuted for the Rockingham Flames in the State Basketball League (SBL) in the 2008 season, playing one game. He played 17 games in 2009, 16 games in 2010, and 25 games in 2011. After not playing in 2012, he returned to the Flames for the 2013 season and made 13 appearances. In 72 games for the Flames over five seasons, he averaged 1.4 points per game.

Coaching career
In September 2019, Thwaites was appointed head coach of the Cockburn Cougars women's SBL team for three seasons. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the cancelled 2020 SBL season, he made his coaching debut in the West Coast Classic.

After guiding the Cougars to the semi-finals in the inaugural NBL1 West season in 2021, Thwaites received a two-year contract extension in March 2022. He went on to guide the Cougars to another semi-final appearance in the 2022 NBL1 West season.

In 2023, Thwaites guided the Cougars to the minor premiership with a first-place finish and an 18–2 record. He was subsequently named NBL1 West Coach of the Year. He went on to guide the Cougars to their first ever grand final, where they won their maiden championship with a 68–61 win over the Willetton Tigers. At the NBL1 National Finals, the Cougars split their two games with a loss in the first and a win in the second.

In October 2023, Thwaites signed a three-year contract extension with the Cougars to continue as the women's head coach until the end of 2027.

Personal life
Throughout the 2010s, Thwaites worked for radio station Hit 92.9 and was a guest presenter for the Nine News Perth Breakfast show. He was also a television broadcaster for the National Basketball League with Fox Sports.

In January 2018, Thwaites was appointed general manager of Cockburn Basketball Association. He was elevated to the position of chief executive officer in 2020.