PROVO, Utah – Tim Fanning becomes the fourth assistant coach to join Kevin Young’s staff, the first-year head coach announced on Tuesday.
“I’m excited to welcome Tim to BYU,” Young said. “He comes with very unique coaching experiences after coaching in the NBA G-League, Euroleague and being a head coach at different levels. Tim has traveled the world learning different philosophies and gained a strong network along the way. He’s a very intelligent coach with a strong background in player development. Our entire program will benefit from Tim’s expertise.”
Fanning comes to BYU after spending three seasons at Overtime Elite, where he played a part in the development of countless Division I and professional players, including serving as head coach for projected No. 1 pick in the 2024 Draft, Alex Sarr. He also worked with Amen Thompson, No. 4 pick in the 2023 Draft, and two-time FIBA World Cup Most Valuable Player Izan Almansa.
The native of Oakland, Calif. spent nearly five years as an assistant coach for Maccabi Tel Aviv B.C. He was a part of a coaching staff that won four straight Israeli League titles, including the last two with former Cougar Elijah Bryant.
Fanning was elevated to head coach of the Nelson Giants of the New Zealand NBL after spending one season as an assistant coach. Raymond Cowels earned NBL All-Star Five accolades under Fanning in 2015-16, finishing second in the league in scoring at 25.7 points per game. Fanning led the team to a runner-up finish in 2014-15, led by McKenzie Moore who earned NBL All-Star Five honors after averaging 21.7 points per game.
He also spent time with the New Zealand National Team in 2014, helping the Tall Blacks advance out of the group stage of the FIBA World Cup that included United States and Turkey.
Fanning spent one season an assistant coach and video coordinator for the Delaware 87ers where he worked with Young. He got his start in coaching in Spain when he was still playing semiprofessionally.
He spent five years as the head coach of various teams while becoming one of the first Americans to complete his coaching certification with the Spanish Basketball Federation. Fanning was named the head coach for the Canaries Basketball Academy U-16 team, helping them reach the Spanish Championship for the first time in academy history.