Adelaide's global search lands 30-year coach

A global search has landed the Adelaide 36ers a highly-respected lead assistant coach with 30 years of experience.

Mike Wells, who spent 26 years working in the NBA and with Team USA, will play a key role alongside head coach Scott Ninnis.

The club hailed the appointment as "a massive coup". 

“Mike comes to Adelaide with extensive coaching experience in the NBA and with Team USA; this is a great addition for us,” GM of Basketball Operations Matt Weston said.

“We searched the globe to get the best possible assistant coach for Scott and Mike ticked all the boxes.”

Wells was assistant coach at the Charlotte Hornets last season, and has also had stints with the Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs.

“The league (NBL) is always something I’ve been intrigued with since I came over as part of Team USA in 2000 for the Sydney Olympics,” Wells said.

“The biggest thing for me is to be the best assistant coach that I can and help Scott and with my organisation and detail, hopefully this will allow Scott and our team to be successful.

“I’ve already started watching some film and seeing what Scott is trying to emphasise and some of the players' tendencies.”

Ninnis was quick to praise the 36ers' newest coaching addition. 

“To have someone of Mike’s experience and success, to be getting advice from him on a day-to-day basis is only going to be good for the club,” he said.

After starting his coaching journey as an intern with the Rockets in 1994, Wells was a member of the coaching staff when Houston won their second consecutive NBA title in 1995.

Wells has also had coaching stints at George Mason and the University of South Florida.

"The 36ers, as soon as they signed Scott Ninnis, they knew right away [they would be looking for an additional assistant] and they flagged to Ninnis that they wanted to bring you (Ninnis) not just an assistant coach, but a lead assistant and associate head coach. That's the sort of person they wanted," ESPN's Olgun Uluc said on NBL Now. 

"They've now locked in Mike Wells and he is an experienced person to have someone next to Ninnis, who hasn't coached at a high level recently outside of last season."

The 36ers' focus will now switch to their search for imports, with Weston last week stating the club would seek two high-quality players to complement local stars Isaac Humphries and DJ Vasiljevic.