Michael Bree appointed Ireland senior men’s head coach on four-year contract

Basketball Ireland has appointed former captain Michael Bree as head coach of the Ireland senior men’s team, ahead of their upcoming of FIBA EuroBasket 2029 Pre-Qualifiers, which begin in November. Bree will take charge of the team from September 1^st and has signed a four-year contract. 

Bree - who won over 40 caps for Ireland between 2000 and 2006 – is currently assistant with Denmark’s senior men’s team and will start his new role at the conclusion of their FIBA Basketball World Cup qualifying campaign. Bree has been with the Danish national team since 2023. Previously, the 45-year-old spent five years as Sweden’s U16 and U18 men’s head coach and worked with Gothenburg’s Högsbo Basket, following an eight-year professional playing career in France, Germany, Spain, Poland and Sweden between 2002 and 2010. 

After leaving Sligo in 1998, Bree played college basketball at NCAA Division 1 programme Davidson College in North Carolina. Bree captained the team in his junior and senior season, earning MVP honours in each. Only one other person has managed to achieve this in school history - four-time NBA champion Steph Curry - who was recruited to the school at the end of Bree’s time there.

Commenting on his appointment, Bree said: “I am delighted and honoured to be taking on this new role within Basketball Ireland. I’m ecstatic to have the good fortune to represent our basketball nation once again on the international stage. We are an emerging nation within the international basketball community and to have the opportunity to add value to the programme is immensely motivating and makes me very proud. Throughout my career, Irish basketball has presented me with so many wonderful experiences and opened numerous doors to new and exciting possibilities. My wish is to offer at least as much in return, as we navigate the potential challenges that high-level competitive international basketball can present. Go Green!”

Coach Bree has honed a strong background in player development too, through his role as Programme Director at RIG Mark Basketball, which he has held since 2014. The programme is tasked with developing elite level international players for Sweden’s men’s and women’s teams. In the last seven years, the academy has produced 24 current and alumni players for the U20 and U18 programmes, 18 NCAA D1 scholarship students, 24 professional players and most recently an NBA draft pick in 2024.

Basketball Ireland CEO, John Feehan, added: “There’s been a huge interest in this position from coaches at home, in Europe and beyond, which is a testament to the growing respect for the ability of Irish players to compete at the highest level. Michael’s commitment to the ongoing development of Irish basketball mirrors Basketball Ireland’s ambition for the growth of the sport. I’m looking forward to seeing what he brings to the role in the over the next four years.”  

Chair of the Elite Performance Committee (EPC), Deirdre Brennan, said: “Michael’s vision and coaching experience was an excellent fit for the criteria the Elite Performance Committee set out at the beginning of the selection process and we are delighted that he has accepted the position. I’m very excited for what he will bring to Irish basketball during his tenure. I’d like to thank all the applicants and those whom we interviewed for the position, for making it a very difficult and competitive process. Finally, I’d like to thank Mark Keenan and his staff once more for their work at bringing the men’s programme to a new level during our most recent qualification campaigns.”

Bree will now turn his attentions to appointing his backroom team, who are set to take charge of the side for Ireland’s upcoming ‘JYSK Summer Series’ game with Norway at on July 26^th at the National Basketball Arena. Ireland’s women are also playing on the same day and tickets for the double header are priced at €45 family, €20 adult, €15 student/OAP and €10 U16 and can be purchased here - https://ireland.basketball/tickets