The promotion of 2025 G League Coach of the Year Scott King to assistant under Mitch Johnson in San Antonio left the Austin Spurs looking for a new leader. The franchise was quick to fill the vacancy with up-and-coming Australian coach Jacob Chance.
Chance, 31, spent the past
two seasons as an assistant on the NBL’s Melbourne United, but don’t let his youth or lack of experience leading a team fool you. Those who know him think he’s one of the most promising coaches in Australia. He’s been part of their National Team program and is following the footsteps of Matt Nielsen, one of his mentors, who coached in Austin before joining the staff of Gregg Popovich in San Antonio, and now continues to be an assistant under Mitch Johnson.
Chance first got in contact with the Austin Spurs brass during Summer League and went through the interview process before landing the job, according to ESPN. The fit was great, as Chance explains:
“I started to get a bit of interest and have some conversations. I think the challenge of the G-League and what that brings; it’s a high-quality league; it’s obviously come a long way… in how it’s resourced and treated, and the Spurs treat their G-League team with a lot of respect and a lot of resources.”
The newcomer will have big shoes to fill. King not only won Coach of the Year in 2025 but also led the Austin Spurs to the Western Conference Finals last season. Chance won’t only be expected to have similar success with the affiliate but also be in charge of helping San Antonio’s two-way players David Jones-Garcia, Riley Minix and Harrison Ingram improve. He could also potentially have an opportunity to work with rookie Carter Bryant if minutes are scarce with the big team for the 14th overall pick in the 2025 draft.
Fortunately, the young coach seems ready for the challenges involved with leading a G League team, and his stellar reputation in Australia suggests he could eventually find success at the next level, as many Austin Spurs coaches have in the past for the franchise.
