Wolves' Micah Nori Finally Lands NBA Head Coaching Job

Top Timberwolves assistant coach Micah Nori has been interviewed for a handful of head coaching gigs over the past few offseasons. He finally got his opportunity on Tuesday, and he will be the next head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, according to a report from ESPN's Shams Charania.

Just in: The Portland Trail Blazers are hiring Minnesota Timberwolves lead assistant Micah Nori as the franchise's next head coach, sources tell ESPN. Nori -- widely regarded as one of the league's top assistants -- has been in the NBA coaching ranks since 2009 and now takes over… pic.twitter.com/j5PDc5KlFF
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 23, 2026

Nori has been with the Wolves since 2021, and he developed into one of the most well-respected assistant coaches in the NBA. He interviewed for the vacant Lakers role in 2024 and the Knicks job in 2025. He was a candidate for the Mavericks and Bulls jobs this offseason, among many others along the way. He will now replace Tiago Splitter as the next head coach of the Trail Blazers.

The Athletic's Jason Quick reported that Nori's contract is just a one-year deal with team options for each of the next two seasons. New Trail Blazers owner Thomas Dundon has made some baffling decisions in his short tenure, and a one-year contract for a new head coach joins the list.

BREAKING: Micah Nori has agreed to become the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, sources tell @TheAthletic. Nori was lead assistant of the Minnesota Timberwolves for the past five years. Nori, 52, signed a one-year deal with team options for each of the next two seasons.
— Jason Quick (@jwquick) June 23, 2026

Nori has a close relationship with Wolves head coach Chris Finch, and he has been his right-hand man since he came to Minnesota in 2021. Longtime assistant Pablo Prigioni is the top in-house option to assume Nori's role, but it's clear that there will be at least a little coaching staff shakeup this offseason.

Nori became a fan-favorite among the fanbase due to his quirky mid-game interviews. It became clear that he earned an opportunity to prove himself as a head coach, and he'll now leave big shoes to fill on the coaching staff.

Minnesota made a pair of big offseason moves on Monday, trading Julius Randle and re-signing Ayo Dosunmu to a long-term extension. Replacing its top assistant coach is now on a long list of to-dos for Tim Connelly and the Wolves' front office.

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