Lainn Wilson named Santa Cruz Warriors head coach for 2025-26
The Santa Cruz Warriors announced Wednesday that Lainn Wilson will serve as head coach of the Golden State Warriors’ NBA G League affiliate.
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“We’re really excited for Lainn and the opportunity he’ll have to coach the Santa Cruz Warriors,” said Golden State head coach Steve Kerr, in a release. “We’ve had a successful history of providing young coaches a chance to develop and gain valuable experience in this role in Santa Cruz, and we expect that Lainn will take full advantage of it. He’s a passionate, detail-oriented, and hard-working coach who has a tremendously bright future in the game. I’m confident he’ll do great during this next step on his journey, and we’re thrilled for him.”
Wilson replaces Nicholas Kerr at the helm. Kerr, who served as the head coach of Santa Cruz the past two seasons and led the team to the playoffs in each campaign, has been called up to rejoin Golden State’s staff.
Santa Cruz’s entire coaching staff will be announced at a later date.
Wilson, who was a member of the Golden State Warriors’ 2022 NBA Championship basketball operations staff, is entering his fifth season with the organization after spending the previous four seasons as Golden State’s head video coordinator (2021-25).
Prior to Golden State, Wilson spent two seasons serving as an assistant video coordinator for the Philadelphia 76ers. He has three years of G League experience with the Grand Rapids Drive, the former affiliate of the Detroit Pistons. He served as an assistant coach his final two seasons with the Drive.
Wilson began his coaching career at the University of Georgia in 2010. He spent six seasons with the men’s basketball team as a student manager (2010-14) and graduate assistant (2014-16) under head coach Mark Fox.
Born in Newport News, Virginia, Wilson grew up in Augusta, Georgia, and graduated from the University of Georgia with an undergraduate degree in finance and a master’s degree in sports management and policy.
Nicholas Kerr returns to the Golden State coaching staff with a combined G League record of 59-44 — the second most wins by a head coach in Santa Cruz Warriors history, only trailing Casey Hill (125-92). After finishing both the 2023-24 and 2024-25 NBA G League regular seasons with a record of 20-14, Kerr became the third head coach in franchise history to achieve consecutive playoff appearances.
Over the past two seasons under Kerr, Santa Cruz saw 10 players receive NBA Call-Ups—nine of those 10 players were called up to Golden State. Kerr becomes the fourth consecutive Santa Cruz Warriors head coach to be called up to the Golden State staff, joining Seth Cooper, Kris Weems, and Aaron Miles.
ALL-TIME COACHES
Lainn Wilson, 2025-Present
Nicholas Kerr, 2023-25
Seth Cooper, 2021-23
Kris Weems, 2019-21
Aaron Miles, 2017-19
Casey Hill, 2013-17
Nate Bjorkgren, 2012-13