Adelaide 36ers Announce CJ Bruton as Head Coach

The Adelaide 36ers are pleased to announce that CJ Bruton has been appointed as Head Coach on a three-year deal.

Bruton, 45, is one of the National Basketball League’s all-time greats, debuting in 1994 and completing an illustrious 516 game career in 2014. Over those two decades, Bruton averaged 14.9 points & 3.6 assists per game while shooting 40% from the three-point arc and 83% from the free throw line. For all of those elite numbers, it was his record-equaling six NBL Championships that cemented Bruton’s place as one of the best to ever hit the court in Australia. Accolades that punctuated a stunning playing career include an NBL Grand Final MVP Award in 2012, being named twice to the All-NBL First Team (2006, 2008) and All-NBL Second Team (2008), NBL Most Improved Player 1999 and the Gaze Medal in 2005 as Australian International Player of the Year.

Bruton boasts significant international experience having represented the Australian Boomers at the Olympic Games in Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, the Commonwealth Games Gold Medal-winning team in Melbourne 2006, and the World Championships in Japan also in 2006. In all, Bruton represented the ‘green & gold’ with distinction 104 times.

Given his reputation as a ‘coach on the floor’ and possessing strong leadership skills throughout his playing career an eventual move to coaching seemed inevitable for Bruton. This phase of his career began in 2011 when Bruton was appointed head coach mid-season with the Piratas de Quebradillas in the BSN season (Puerto Rico) following a playing stint for the same club. A final series appearance was achieved and Bruton’s love for coaching began. In 2014 Bruton joined the Brisbane Spartans as head coach to steer the club through their SEABL (now NBL 1) campaign. Less than one year later an appointment as Assistant Coach of the Brisbane Bullets followed, while his involvement as head coach of the Brisbane Spartans continued through the 2016 SEABL season where he guided the club to a 15-9 season and their first playoff run in four years. Bruton was named as an assistant coach for the Australian Boomers gold medal-winning 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games campaign, while his role as assistant coach with the Bullets also continued for the next five seasons, ending only with today’s move to take the reins in Adelaide.

Adelaide 36ers Chairman Grant Kelley today welcomed CJ Bruton to the Club “We are delighted to welcome CJ, Jessica, and their family to 36ers Nation. While CJ's basketball pedigree is without peer, it is his personal qualities which we believe 36ers' fans will value highly -- tenacity, commitment to the cause, and the ability to blend high performance with care for the individual.  Sixers fans: we have got our man.  Bring on NBL 21-22, and let's once again bring glory and honour to our beloved hometown”.

Adelaide 36ers GM of Basketball Jeff Van Groningen previously prioritised Bruton as a key recruit during his time at the Brisbane Bullets and the then-point guard contributed heavily in securing the 2007 NBL Championship. Grant Kelley and Van Groningen placed a similar premium on Bruton’s recruitment, this time as a head coach. “CJ is a special person, a talented leader and is absolutely ready for this opportunity. I’ve seen first-hand the positive, winning effect he has on those around him, it’s an intangible but it’s so important and will help us achieve great things over these next few seasons”, Van Groningen stated.

Bruton looks forward to the challenge “I am honoured to be appointed as the new Head Coach of the Adelaide 36ers. Grant and JVG have laid out their future vision for the club and I’m excited to play a lead role in moving the program forward in a successful and sustainable way. I believe the current roster packs a lot of power and once the remaining pieces are put into place, we will be able to play an exciting brand of basketball and put us in the best position to make the playoffs and target the championship. I believe what I will bring the 36ers franchise will go beyond just winning games, but I also believe in creating and maintaining a culture that future players are excited to be a part of. The 36ers have a deep history, some of the most loyal fans in the league, that always show passion and love for their club. We’re ready. Let’s do this”.

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