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Blazers Finalize Micah Nori’s Coaching Staff and Reassign Nate Bjorkgren

The moves pair veteran hires with internal promotions, reshaping on-court roles and increasing near-term pressure on Nori to produce results.

Overview

  • The Trail Blazers announced the full staff on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, confirming Jay Triano and Mike Williams as the most notable external hires.
  • Nate Bjorkgren will move from on-court defensive coordinator and lead assistant into a special assistant role tied to the coaching staff and basketball operations.
  • Portland promoted Leron Black to assistant coach and elevated Jason Luhnow to a full-time player development role while keeping Quinton Crawford, Gilbert Abraham and Pooh Jeter on staff.
  • The team kept key development, video and analytics staff in place, including Ikenna Smart, Ty Vitko, John Townsend and new analytics hires meant to preserve continuity with the Rip City Remix and G League pipeline.
  • Nori starts his first season under a reportedly short-guaranteed contract, and the staff changes come after Portland ended a four-year playoff drought in 2026, creating clear near-term expectations for results.