Brendan Joyce is one of Australia's most accomplished basketball figures and a distinguished VU alum. As an elite player and coach, Joyce he has left an indelible mark on the sport both nationally and internationally.
He will be inducted into the prestigious VU Sport Hall of Fame at the annual Sport Awards night on Thursday at Whitten Oval.
Brendan started his working career as both a professional basketballer and an electrician. After eight years in the electrical trade, he enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts (Recreation) at Footscray Institute of Technology (now known as VU), keen to deepen his understanding of sport, management and coaching.
Representing Victoria and Australia at junior level, including captaining the Australian Under 23 team, Joyce was an Australian Boomers squad member and played in the inaugural year of the National Basketball League (NBL) in 1979 with the Nunawading Spectres. Over 13 seasons, he played 289 NBL games for the Spectres, Westside Melbourne Saints, and Brisbane Bullets.
Known for his defensive tenacity and playmaking ability, Joyce was among the league's all-time leaders in assists and captained two NBL teams. He appeared in eight NBL finals series and earned recognition as an NBL All-Star in 1988 and 1989.
Coaching excellence
After retiring as a player, Joyce began his career as one of Australia's premier basketball coaches. He coached over 400 NBL games, including nine finals appearances.
He was Assistant Coach for the Australian Boomers at the Athens 2004 Olympics and Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, and with the 2006 Commonwealth Games Gold Medal team.
He was Head Coach of the Australian Opals (2013-2016), guiding them to a Bronze Medal at the 2014 FIBA World Cup and fifth place at the Rio 2016 Olympics.
He was also Head of Basketball at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) Centre of Excellence, where Australia's U17 and U19 women's teams won World Cup Gold and Bronze respectively.
Most recently Joyce coached the Kaohsiung Aquas to a T1 League Championship in Taiwan (2022), the first Australian to achieve such success at senior level in Asia.
Joyce's contributions have earned him multiple national and international coaching awards as well as a Victoria University Centenary Hoadley Medal and recognition as a Distinguished Alumni Award Finalist in 2016.
Alongside his playing career, Joyce completed his degree in 1987, the same year he became a first-time father.
Joyce said it will be an "incredible honour to be inducted to Victoria University Sport Hall of Fame."
"VU certainly provided me with an education that assisted me in my work in sport: as a professional player and eventually as coach in basketball.
I believe I played my best basketball in the NBL while attending university as a mature student. My course gave me a greater understanding of my emotions in competition and how to manage them in a more positive way both from an individual and team perspective.
"My university education enhanced my communication and strategic planning skills and contributed to me gaining the captaincy of two NBL teams and achieving success as a professional coach here in Australia and overseas."
Joyce will be joined at the event by his wife Joanne Joyce, his children, sister and very first coach, who are all keen to celebrate this formal recognition for his distinguished career.
Honours
International representation
- 2013 - 2016 Head Coach Australian Opals Women's team
- 2001 - 2008 Assistant Coach Australian Boomers Men's team
- 2016 Olympic Games Rio
- 2014 FIBA World Championship Turkey - Bronze Medal
- 2013 FIBA Oceania Championships - Gold Medal
- 2015 FIBA Oceania Championships - Gold Medal
- 2008 Olympic Games Beijing
- 2004 Olympic Games Athens
- 2003 FIBA Oceania Championship - Gold Medal
- 2006 Commonwealth Games - Gold Medal
- 2006 FIBA World Championships Japan
World Cup
- 2016 FIBA World Cup Spain, Australian Sapphires U17 - Gold Medal
- 2015 FIBA World Cup Russia, Australian Gems U19 - Bronze Medal
National
- Captain of two NBL Teams
Recognition
- 1981 Australian U23 Captain
- 1988 NBL Allstar player
- 1989 NBL Allstar player
- 1999, 2001 NBL Coach of the Year,
- 2005 NBL Allstars Head Coach
- 2016 Victoria University Centenary Hoadley Medal, Alumni Award
- 2016 Victoria University Distinguished Alumni Award Finalist
- 2022 Taiwan League Coach of the Year
Victoria University
- 1987 Bachelor of Arts Recreation
