Isaiah Fox (born March 29, 1983) is the associate head coach of the Salt Lake City Stars, the NBA G League affiliate of the Utah Jazz, and former professional international basketball player.
 | |
| Salt Lake City Stars | |
|---|---|
| Title | Associate Head Coach |
| League | NBA G League |
| Personal information | |
| Born | March 29, 1983 Tucson, Arizona, U.S |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Listed weight | 248 lb (112 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Crossroads School for Arts & Sciences |
| College | University of Arizona (2001-2006) |
| NBA draft | 2006: undrafted |
| Position | Center |
| Coaching career | 2012–Present |
| Career history | |
| 2016-2018 | South Bay Lakers (assistant coach) |
| 2018-2019 | Los Angeles Lakers (player development) |
| 2019-2023 | Philadelphia 76ers (assistant player development) |
| 2019-2023 | Delaware Blue Coats (1st Assistant Coach) |
| 2023-Present | Utah Jazz (Associate Player Development Coach) |
| 2023-Present | Salt Lake City Stars (Associate Head Coach) |
Fox played college basketball at the University of Arizona, under head coach Lute Olson, and later played professionally overseas, with stints in Australia, Mexico, and Japan. In 2016, he joined the NBA G League coaching staff, as an assistant coach with the South Bay Lakers (affiliate of the Los Angeles Lakers) and then Delaware Blue Coats (affiliate of the Philadelphia 76ers) in 2019.
A former McDonald’s All-America nominee, the 6-foot-9 Fox was a four-year letter winner for the University of Arizona basketball team from 2002-06 under Naismith Hall of Fame Head Coach Lute Olson. Fox was selected in the 2008 NBA G League Draft and his professional playing experience included stints in Australia, Mexico and Japan.
Early Life and High School
[edit]Fox was born on March 29, 1983, in Tucson Arizona, to Michelle Fox (née Kilgore) and Nils Fox, a former offensive lineman at the University of Arizona (1983–84). Fox was born on the same day that Lute Olson was hired as head coach of the Arizona Wildcats.[1]—a program he would later join as a student-athlete.
Fox attended Crossroads School for Arts & Sciences, a private college preparatory school in Santa Monica known for its strong athletic and arts programs. While there, he shared the court with several notable athletes, including NBA All-Star Baron Davis, a fellow Crossroads alumnus, and local friendly rival Tyson Chandler.
During his high school career, Fox was a McDonald’s All-American nominee and was named the 2001 John R. Wooden California High School Player of the Year[2].
College Career
[edit]From 2001 to 2006, Fox played collegiate basketball for the Arizona Wildcats under Hall of Fame head coach Lute Olson. During his tenure, Fox was teammates with several future NBA star players, including Luke Walton, Richard Jefferson, and Andre Iguodala[3]; contributing to multiple NCAA Tournaments
Professional Playing Career
[edit]After going undrafted in the 2006 NBA Draft, Fox launched an international professional career that included playing for teams in China, Japan, and Australia[4]. In 2011, Fox joined Pioneros de Los Mochis in Mexico’s CIBACOPA league [5]
Coaching Career
[edit]Following his retirement from professional basketball, Fox transitioned into coaching. In 2016, he began his career with the Los Angeles D-Fenders (now the South Bay Lakers), where he served as an assistant coach and for one season as a player development coach with the Los Angeles Lakers.[6][7]
In September 2019 Fox joined the Delaware Blue Coats, NBA G League Affiliate of the 76ers, as assistant coach to Connor Johnson[8] and assistant player development coach for the Philadelphia 76ers. In 2021, Sixers announced new head coach, Coby Karl[9][10][11].
During Fox's time with the Blue Coats, he helped lead the team to consecutive trips to the championship match. The Blue Coats won Eastern Conference pennants in 2020-2021, 2021-22 and 2022-23, and was crowned NBA G League Showcase Cup champions in 2021[12]
In April 2023 the Blue Coats claimed the NBA G League title after beating the Rio Grande Valley Vipers 114-110 in game two of the NBA G League Finals[13]. The Blue Coats first NBA G League championship in franchise history.[14]
In 2023 Fox joined Steve Wojciechowski's coaching staff as associate head coach for the Salt Lake City Stars, and associate player development coach for its affiliate the Utah Jazz[15]. The SLC 2023-2024 season coaching staff included league pros Bret Burchard, James Mays, and Jia Perkins[16]
In the 2023-24 regular season SLC finished with a 20-14 record after closing the season as winners of 11 of their final 12 games (including 11 straight) to earn a spot in the G League Playoffs for the second straight season.[17] SLC reached the third round of the 2024 G League Playoffs, the deepest postseason run in the team’s history.
In the 2024-25 regular season SLC finished with a 21-13 record and earned the franchise's first playoff win on April 1 against the Rio Grande Valley Vipers[18]. SLC (1-1), fell to the Austin Spurs (1-0) (San Antonio Spurs affiliate), 123-113, in the NBA G League Western Conference Semifinals ending the season.[19]
The Salt Lake City Stars were crowned 2025 Winter Showcase Champions following a dominant 137-112 victory over Raptors 905. The title marks the second Winter Showcase championship in franchise history, with the first coming during the inaugural tournament in 2019.[20]
Personal Life
[edit]Charitable work, community involvement
- YMCA Youth Counselor
Media appearances
Awards/honors
- Class of 2022 inducted in to the Crossroads Athletics Hall of Fame[23], joining other alumni such as Barron Davis
References
[edit]- ^ "Isaiah Fox Profile - ARIZONAWILDCATS.COM - The University of Arizona Wildcats Official Athletic Site". University of Arizona Athletics. 2013-04-18. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
- ^ "John R. Wooden California High School POY Awards - RealGM". basketball.realgm.com. Retrieved 2025-06-01.
- ^ "Former Arizona Wildcat Isaiah Fox is thriving in the Lakers Organization". Zona Zealots. 2017-01-18. Retrieved 2025-06-01.
- ^ Eurobasket. "Isaiah Fox, Basketball Player, News, Stats - latinbasket". Eurobasket LLC. Retrieved 2025-06-01.
- ^ Eurobasket. "Isaiah Fox, Basketball Player, News, Stats - latinbasket". Eurobasket LLC. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
- ^ "SLC Stars Finalize 2023-24 Coaching Staff". OurSports Central. 2023-09-20. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
- ^ "Former Arizona Wildcat Isaiah Fox is thriving in the Lakers Organization". Zona Zealots. 2017-01-18. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
- ^ Writer, Staff (2019-10-22). "Delaware Blue Coats Announce Additions To Staff". First State Update. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
- ^ "Sixers announce coaching changes, including Coby Karl as Blue Coats head coach". NBC Sports Philadelphia. 2021-09-28. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
- ^ "Coby Karl Named Head Coach of the Delaware Blue Coats". OurSports Central. 2021-09-28. Retrieved 2025-06-07.
- ^ "76ers Announce New Members of Coaching Staff | Philadelphia Sixers". www.nba.com. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
- ^ "Delaware Blue Coats Win 2022-23 NBA G League Championship". The NBA G League. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
- ^ Juarez, Ruben (Apr 7, 2023). "Blue Coats Beat Vipers 114-110 as Delaware Wins G League Title". valleycentral.com.
- ^ "Delaware Blue Coats Victory Celebration April 10". OurSports Central. 2023-04-10. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
- ^ Anderson, Ben (2023-09-21). "Jia Perkins Joins SLC Stars Staff". KSL Sports. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
- ^ "SLC Stars Finalize 2023-24 Coaching Staff". OurSports Central. 2023-09-20. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
- ^ "Three Salt Lake City Stars Players Receive All-NBA G League Honors". OurSports Central. 2024-04-19. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
- ^ "Two Salt Lake City Stars Players Receive All-NBA G League Honors". OurSports Central. 2025-04-17. Retrieved 2025-06-26.
- ^ "Stars Season Ends with Semifinals Loss to Austin Spurs". OurSports Central. 2025-04-04. Retrieved 2025-06-26.
- ^ "Stars Crowned Winter Showcase Champions with Statement Win Over 905". Salt Lake City Stars. Retrieved 2025-12-25.
- ^ Hartofilis, John (2020-11-19), Isaiah Fox - Professional Basketball Coach (Sport), John Hartofilis, retrieved 2025-06-26
- ^ Delaware Blue Coats (2020-01-10). Meet Assistant Coach Isaiah Fox | Blue Coats Beat | 76ers NBA G League Affiliate. Retrieved 2025-06-26 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Athletics Hall of Fame Inducts Class of 2022". Crossroads School. 2022-11-01. Retrieved 2025-06-26.