Brendan Joyce Returns to Lead Ballarat

Ballarat Miners have announced the appointment of Brendan Joyce as Head Coach of the Miners Women’s team for the NBL1 South 2026 season, marking the return of one of the club’s most influential coaching figures.

A key part of Ballarat’s history, Joyce first guided the Miners in 1994, winning two championships before progressing into a long and successful NBL coaching career. He later returned in 2018 to lead the Men’s program and now reunites with the club once again—this time to steer the Women’s team into a new era.

Joyce brings an extensive national and international coaching background. His career includes head coaching roles with Wollongong and Gold Coast in the NBL, Assistant Coach positions with the Australian Olympic Teams in 2004 and 2008, and leading the Australian Opals from 2013 to 2016. During his Opals tenure, Australia claimed Bronze at the 2014 FIBA Women’s World Championship and competed at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Most recently, Joyce coached the Kaohsiung Aquas to a T1 League Championship in Taiwan, becoming the first Australian to win a senior-level title in Asia.

Joyce said he is eager to return and contribute to the continued growth of the Miners Women’s program:

“I’m excited to be back in Ballarat and to be coaching our senior women’s team.
I’ve been fortunate to gain extensive experience coaching both female and male teams in Australia, and more recently in Asia, where I was proud to coach a team to a national championship in Taiwan."

"Coaching the Australian Opals and leading the women’s program at the COE from 2013–2016 was incredibly rewarding, with World Cup medals U17 Gold, U19 Bronze, and Opals Bronze and a strong 5–1 result at the Rio Olympics. Seeing so many of the young athletes we developed now playing professionally around the world is something I’m particularly proud of"

"Now it’s time to return home for family and lead the Ballarat Women’s NBL1 team. My focus will be on developing players and helping them achieve their goals, whether at Ballarat, college, the WNBL, or even the WNBA. I also want to build a style of play that excites our fans and encourages the community to get behind our team."

"Although we’re starting a little later than usual, we’ll work hard to recruit talented players and build a squad capable of competing for playoffs and ultimately a championship."

"Let’s go!”

Ballarat Basketball CEO Travis Merlo said Joyce’s appointment reflects the strength and ambition of the program:

“It's fantastic that Basketball Ballarat can attract a coach of the caliber and experience of Brendan, and shows our program is highly regarded. We think of Brendan as basically a Ballarat local, having coached the Miners on two separate occasions. Having coached in the NBL, with the Australian Opals and running Basketball Australia's Centre of Excellence, Brendan will bring a wealth of experience to our Women's program and Ballarat as a whole.”

With the NBL1 South off-season underway, Joyce will now turn his attention to roster construction ahead of the 2026 campaign, with player signings expected to roll out in the coming months.

The NBL1 South 2026 season tips off on Friday 27th March 2026. For all the latest updates, including player signings, coaching appointments and league news, make sure you’re following NBL1 South on Facebook and Instagram.