Famous Australian Coaches

In her 19-year stint as a basketball player, Penny Taylor has mostly represented the WNBA team Phoenix Mercury. She also won gold medals as part of the Australian women’s national team. Though she had a heterosexual marriage earlier, she is now openly lesbian and married to fellow basketball player Diana Taurasi.

Legendary Australian cricketer Allan Border, also popularly known as AB, remains to be regarded as one of the best batsmen the game has ever had. Under his captaincy, Australia didn’t just win a World Cup but also brought back the Ashes in 1989. He is also one of Australia’s 100 National Living Treasures.

Yugoslavian-born tennis star Jelena Dokic had once been world number 4 in singles. While she represented Serbia and Montenegro, Yugoslavia, and Australia in international events, post-retirement, she has mostly been associated with Australian tennis as a coach, author, and sports commentator. She accused her father of abuse in her memoir.

Wayne Bennett, or Benny, is regarded as NRL’s most successful coach. The rugby coach is known for his stint with the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the national teams of Australia, New Zealand, and Britain. He also earned the nickname Skeletor for his lack of facial expressions while watching matches.

Australian tennis coach and former player Darren Cahill is best known for mentoring renowned players such as Andre Agassi, Lleyton Hewitt, and Simona Halep. He was also the Australian Davis Cup coach. Known by his nickname Killer in the tennis circuit, he also works as a tennis analyst for ESPN.

Australian former cricketer and coach Thomas Masson Moody, better known as Tom Moody, excelled in other sports, such as Australian football and high jump, too. Also known as Big Tom, for his 6’6” frame, he won two World Cups for his country and now serves as the director of Sri Lanka Cricket.

Three-time Olympic gold medalist Shane Gould was 15 when she participated in the Munich Olympics. She stunned everyone with her early retirement at 16 and stayed away from the limelight for 25 years, eventually re-emerging after raising her four kids on an Australian farm and then breaking records at the 2000 Sydney Games.

Rugby coach and former player Shaun Edwards now leads the French national team as its defense coach. He has won 8 Challenge Cup titles with the Wigan Warriors and has also represented the English and Irish teams. He has also served the London Wasps as their head coach.

Tony Roche had started playing tennis at age 9 and joined the Wagga Wagga Tennis Club at 13. He was part of the Handsome Eight of tennis, joining the league with players such as Cliff Drysdale and Roger Taylor. Post-retirement, he coached Australia’s Davis Cup team.

Remembered as the coach of tennis legend Roger Federer, Peter Carter had started off as a player but moved to coaching after his playing career was cut short due to injuries. He tragically died in a car accident at the Kruger National Park, where he was supposed to be holidaying with his wife.

Johnny Warren was an Australian football player, coach, writer, broadcaster, and administrator. Nicknamed Captain Socceroo, Warren is best remembered for his work to promote and popularize soccer in Australia. The award presented to the A-League's best player is named after Johnny Warren. His life and career inspired the 2006 documentary film Johnny Warren’s Football Mission.

Australian tennis coach Bob Brett initially worked as a ball boy for Arthur Ashe. Though he didn’t have much of a professional career, he later turned into a coach, while working part-time as a postman. He gradually rose to coach tennis legends such as Boris Becker and Goran Ivanisevic.

Apart from coaching the Australian women's hockey team, former Australian MP and professional cricket and field hockey player Ric Charlesworth has also served as a consultant for the New Zealand national cricket team and the Fremantle Football Club. Charlesworth has also penned books such as Shakespeare the Coach.

Known for his successful stint with the Australian national rugby team, or the Wallabies, Ewen McKenzie also won a World Cup for his country. He has also coached the Australian team and won honors such as the Super Rugby Coach of the Year. He also wrote a column for the Sydney Morning Herald.

Though born in Australia, Stevče Aluševski later represented Macedonia in handball. Starting his career with the Bitola club RK Pelister, he is a 13-time Macedonian First League champion and an 11-time Macedonian Handball Cup champion. He now serves the club Þór Akureyri as its manager.

Born to an affluent grazier in Australia, Stephen Fairbairn excelled in not just rowing but also in cricket and Australian football. He was also talented in math. Growing up to be a talented rower for Cambridge, he later established the Head of the River Race and coached iconic British rowing clubs.

Part of the bronze-winning Australian softball team in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Nicole Richardson was named to the Softball Australia Hall of Fame, too. She also won Australia a gold at the Commonwealth Games in 2002. She has also coached netball teams such as the Collingwood Magpies.