Portland Trail Blazers Announce 2026-27 Coaching Staff and Front Office Updates

The Portland Trail Blazers have officially announced their basketball operations additions and promotions for the 2026-27 season, headlined by a revamped coaching staff assembled under head coach Micah Nori, according to NBA.com reporting. Nori enters his first season leading the bench in Portland, backed by a mix of veteran assistants and internal promotions designed to bolster player development.

Jay Triano and Mike Williams Join New-Look Coaching Staff

According to NBA.com, the Trail Blazers named Jay Triano, Mike Williams, Quinton Crawford, Gilbert Abraham, and Leron Black as assistant coaches for the upcoming campaign. Pooh Jeter and Jason Luhnow round out the staff as player development coaches.

Triano brings two decades of NBA coaching experience to Portland, having previously served as an assistant with the franchise from 2012 to 2016, as reported by NBA.com. The outlet notes that Triano is a 2026 Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame inductee and the first Canadian-born head coach in NBA history, with past head coaching stints leading the Toronto Raptors from 2008 to 2011 and the Phoenix Suns from 2017 to 2018. Most recently, Triano worked as an assistant coach with the Dallas Mavericks during the 2025-26 season.

Williams joins Nori’s staff after spending the 2023-26 seasons as an assistant coach with the Utah Jazz, according to NBA.com. Before his time in Utah, Williams served two seasons as head coach of the Washington Wizards G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go. NBA.com highlights that Williams began his professional coaching journey as a player development intern with the Trail Blazers.

Crawford returns for his second season as a Trail Blazers assistant coach after leading the Stockton Kings to the 2025 NBA G League Championship in his first year at the helm, as reported by NBA.com. Abraham continues in his dual role as an assistant coach and the team’s Director of Player Development. Meanwhile, Black transitions to an assistant coach role after spending last season as a player development coach in Portland and two seasons with the G League’s Rip City Remix.

Player Development Additions and Front Office Transitions

According to NBA.com, Jeter enters his fourth season as a player development coach after concluding a playing career that featured two seasons with G League Ignite from 2021 to 2023, a stint with the Sacramento Kings in 2010-11, and extensive international experience. Luhnow transitions into a full-time player development coach role after serving as a video coordinator and player development coach last season, having originally joined the organization as a video intern in 2022.

In related organizational updates, Blazer’s Edge and OregonLive.com report that Nate Bjorkgren is transitioning from the coaching bench into a special assistant role within the front office. Bjorkgren remains with the organization as Nori establishes his new operational structure for the 2026-27 season.