Portland Trail Blazers Hire Timberwolves Assistant Micah Nori as Head Coach

The Portland Trail Blazers have selected Minnesota Timberwolves assistant coach Micah Nori as their next head coach, the team announced on Tuesday. Nori takes over a franchise that reached the playoffs for the first time in five years under interim head coach Tiago Splitter, who has since taken the head coaching job with the Chicago Bulls.

Nori, 52, spent the past five seasons with the Timberwolves as the lead assistant under head coach Chris Finch. During his tenure, Minnesota made the playoffs every year, won five playoff series, and advanced to the Western Conference finals in both 2023 and 2024. Nori had interviewed for several head coaching vacancies in recent years, including with the Chicago Bulls earlier this month, the New York Knicks last year, and the Los Angeles Lakers in 2024.

A veteran NBA figure, Nori began his league career in 1998 as a scout for the Toronto Raptors. He has since served as an assistant coach for the Raptors, Sacramento Kings, Denver Nuggets, and Detroit Pistons. His son, Dante, is a minor league baseball player in the Philadelphia Phillies organization.

Nori replaces Chauncey Billups, who was arrested in October as part of a federal crackdown on a large-scale gambling operation. Billups has pleaded not guilty to wire fraud and money laundering charges. Splitter was promoted from assistant to interim head coach after Billups’ arrest and led the Blazers to a 42-40 record and a first-round playoff loss to the San Antonio Spurs, Portland’s first postseason appearance and winning season in five years.