Tom Maher (born 4 September 1952 in Melbourne, Victoria) is an Australian basketball coach.

Maher is the most successful coach in history of the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL), having won nine championships. He coached the Nunawading Spectres to six titles, before leading Perth, Canberra and Bulleen to one apiece. He was named WNBL Coach of the Year in 1987, 1992, 2010 and 2011.

Maher led the Australia women's national basketball team to their first Olympic medal (bronze) in 1996 and then on to silver at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. He was head coach of New Zealand in Athens 2004, and coached the Tall Ferns to their best-ever performance of eighth. He coached the China women's national basketball team at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, finishing fourth. In 2009, he was appointed coach of the Great Britain women's team. He coached Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Olympics, finishing eleventh. Maher returned as the head coach of the Chinese national women's team for the 2016 Summer Olympics, marking his sixth consecutive Olympic Games as a national head coach.[1] The team finished tenth overall.

In 2021, Maher was inducted to the FIBA Hall of Fame.[2]

Coaching career

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Coaching achievements

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Personal life

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Maher is married to former Australia women's national basketball team captain Robyn Maher.

References

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  1. ^ Aussie women's 'super coach' Tom Maher gets China across line to set personal record with six straight Olympic Games
  2. ^ "Tom Maher inducted to the FIBA Hall of Fame". Basketball Australia. 21 June 2021. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
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