Fire hire Cavs assistant Sarama as 1st head coach

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Portland Fire hired Alex Sarama as the franchise's first head coach Friday.

Sarama is currently an assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Fire, who begin play next season, had leaked the hire a few days earlier on one of their social media pages.

“Alex represents the next generation of coaching,” Fire General Manager Vanja Černivec said. “He’s not just teaching the game, he’s transforming it. His approach to player development, grounded in evidence-based science, research and creativity, aligns with our vision to make Portland a global hub for innovation in women’s sports.”

Sarama worked with Černivec at the NBA Europe office in Madrid many years ago.

“The opportunity to build something from the ground up is unique,” Sarama said. “At the Fire, we’re not just creating a team — we’re redefining how the game is taught and played, through an approach centered around adaptability and supported by evidence-informed methodologies. We want to create a new standard for the game.”

Sarama joins Portland after serving as an assistant and director of player development for the Cavaliers. Before that he worked with the London Lions, Paris Basketball, the Rip City Remix and NBA EMEA.

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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball