Who is Scott Ninnis?

Scott Ninnis is a club legend at the Adelaide 36ers and from Saturday night, will take charge of the side as coach for the second time.

Ninnis holds the unique honour of not only having spent a two-season stint as head coach of the club between 2008-2010, but of being the only person to have been involved in all four of Adelaide’s NBL titles, either as a player or assistant coach to Phil Smyth.

His playing career was bookended by the 36ers’ first ever title in 1986 and their 1998 triumph, while he also was a member of the South East Melbourne Magic side that triumphed over the Melbourne Tigers in 1992, alongside the likes of Bruce Bolden, Robert Rose and Tony Ronaldson.

Ninnis played bit-part roles in both of his triumphs with the 36ers. After all, in the first he was a rookie, and in the second he was a veteran playing his final professional season, but following his playing retirement he took on an assistant coaching post at the club, and was once again part of the championships in 1999 and 2002.

Following the 2003 triumph he left for assistant roles at Townsville and South Dragons, before returning to Adelaide as head coach in 2008. His first season saw the club finish sixth and suffer an elimination final loss to New Zealand, before the 36ers missed the post-season entirely in the 2009-2010 campaign, where Ninnis replaced by Marty Clarke.

After over a decade away from the club where he made 233 playing appearances, he returned as an assistant in 2023, and is now back in the 36ers' hotseat.

Yes, he’s held coaching posts with the Crocodiles and Dragons, and played for the Magic, Falcons, and Spectres, but Ninnis has always returned to Adelaide. He’s spent a sum total of over 25 years at the club, and his return following that title triumph with the Magic was his best in a 36ers uniform.

1993 saw him named as the NBL’s Most Improved Player – Adelaide’s first player to take out the award since Mark Bradtke in 1989, and earn a place on a star-studded All-NBL Third Team alongside Sydney’s Dwayne McClain, Canberra’s Rodney Monroe, Brisbane’s Andre Moore and Perth’s Andrew Vlahov.

Ninnis was inducted into the club's Hall of Fame prior to his re-appointment as an assistant coach, and in a time of need, the 36ers have has turned to one of their greatest ever servants, who upon his appointment said he would never leave Adelaide.

Adelaide’s first game under Ninnis will come against Cairns on Saturday at 8pm AEDT. Watch the game live on ESPN via Kayo.