BC Prievidza are excited to welcome Gareth Murray as their new Head Coach. After 4.5 successful seasons in charge of Glasgow’s Caledonia Gladiators, the 40-year-old Scot now takes the reins of the miners and vows to lead them from the dark pit of recent results back to the light.  

After an accomplished playing career that saw him accumulate 62 appearances for the British national team and participate in two FIBA EuroBasket European Championships while becoming the all-time GB national team leader in three-point percentage, Murray began his coaching career in 2020 when he assumed player-coach duties at his long-time club Scottish Rocks in Glasgow.

Despite the challenging assignment of playing almost thirty minutes per game and coaching at the same time, success set in quickly as Rocks made it to the 2021/2022 BBL UK semi-finals on a very tight budget. Focusing exclusively on his sideline duties, in 2022/2023 Murray led the renamed Caledonia Gladiators to their first title in twenty years of the club’s existence by winning the BBL Trophy on a memorable buzzer-beater in a packed Emirates Arena in Glasgow.

Having thus obtained the right to participate in the 2023/2024 FIBA Europe Cup, Murray guided his troops to a 3-3 campaign in group stage play, with a memorable home win over Polish giants Anwil Wloclawek and two duels with a familiar BC opponent, Bilbao Basket. At the same time, the former small forward also earned a call-up to Great Britain’s national team coaching staff as an Assistant Coach. Aside from these main duties, he always remained involved in youth basketball, taking charge of Rocks’ academy and Great Britain’s U18 3x3 team at various times.

Throughout his playing and coaching careers, Murray had the opportunity to learn from some of the profession’s brightest minds, such as current Minnesota Timberwolves Head Coach Chris Finch or Cleveland Cavaliers assistant Nate Reinking. When constructing his rosters, he always found a good balance between the so-called “imports” and local British and even Scottish talent. He stands for a disciplined approach while still giving his players a certain amount of freedom within the framework.

“I am excited to be joining a club with such great history in a basketball-crazy city,” Murray adds. “The project of further developing the club and growing the first team but also integrating the academy more is something that excites me. I hope to bring my passion and work ethic to an already successful foundation the club has built over the years. The past couple of days, I have already watched a number of Prievidza games to familiarize myself with the roster and the league. Now I am looking forward to meeting everybody and getting to work.”

Or, in the words of BC Sports Director Matthias Haufer: “We felt that we needed a fresh pair of eyes to look at our roster and a new way of addressing the players. That was one of the reasons why we opted for a head coach with no previous connection to the Slovakian basketball landscape. Everybody will begin at zero now again, with the chance for a true reset.

I have worked with Gareth since 2021 in a scouting role for Caledonia Gladiators and I am completely convinced of his competence, integrity and work ethic. Together, we were able to celebrate one of the greatest sports moments I ever witnessed live with the 2023 BBL Trophy win on a buzzer-beater.

Of course, long-term we are aiming for a repeat here in Prievidza. But for now, before dreaming about lofty ambitions, we need to focus on the day-to-day, the next game, the next practice. Gareth’s down-to-earth, “do your job” approach is perfect for that.”