Three-time Coach of the Year on verge of potential shock overseas move

Melbourne United head coach Dean Vickerman is on the verge of a move to Japan, with both parties working on a potential mutual release from his contract.

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Sources tell Fox Sports Australia Vickerman is set to pursue a new challenge in the Japanese B.League Premier, which is set to launch in the 2026-27 season.

The revamped league is expected to feature around 28 teams, introduce a salary cap, and remove promotion and relegation, marking one of the most significant structural changes in global basketball in recent years.

Vickerman, 54, is still contracted with Melbourne United for another two seasons, locked in through to the end of NBL28 after putting pen to paper on a four-year extension back in April 2023.

His coaching story stretches back to 1997, not long after a short playing stint with the Melbourne Tigers where he featured in 16 games. From there, he has quietly built one of the most respected resumes in Australian basketball.

He has worked across both Australia and New Zealand, winning titles as an assistant coach with the Tigers in 2006 and the New Zealand Breakers from 2011 to 2013.

When he stepped into a head coaching role, the success followed, with a championship at the Breakers in 2015. He then joined Melbourne United ahead of the 2017–18 season, a club he has called home for the past nine years, delivering titles in 2018 and 2021 and cementing his place among the most decorated coaches in Australian basketball.

Across 398 games, covering regular season, playoffs and play-in tournaments, he holds a 249–149 record, good for a 62.6 per cent win rate, along with three NBL Coach of the Year awards.

If he does make the move, he would be the latest in a growing line of Australian and Kiwi coaches heading to Japan’s rising league, joining the likes of Mody Maor, Shawn Dennis and Trevor Gleeson, who have all made a strong impact there.

Naturally, the question now becomes what more there is to achieve in the NBL. After multiple championships and Coach of the Year honours, a fresh challenge overseas would be a logical next step as Japan’s league prepares to expand its global footprint.

Recent near-misses, including back-to-back finals losses to Tasmania and Illawarra, followed by a playoff miss after a strong 2025-2026 start, may also factor into the timing of a reset.

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Sources told Fox Sports Australia that both parties are now working towards a mutual release from his contract, with a potential buyout set to open the door for Vickerman to pursue opportunities in Japan.