Former Perth Wildcat Adam Caporn has gone from WA to the world stage - and now, he’s been entrusted with guiding Australia’s Boomers in their quest for Olympic glory. Caporn was on Thursday unveiled as the men’s national side’s new coach, with the Perth product continuing his steady rise and being rewarded for a long-standing association with the Australian national program. The 42-year-old is an assistant at the NBA’s Washington Wizards, having previously been a part of Brooklyn’s staff, amid a near two-decade coaching career that began while he was still a player at the Wildcats in 2007. As he prepares to take over from Brian Goorjian, who led the Boomers at the past two Olympics, Caporn said taking on the role was “an incredible honour”. “To step into the role of head coach is truly a dream come true,” he said. “I am deeply grateful to Basketball Australia for their trust in me and to the entire Australian basketball community for the invaluable experiences and opportunities I’ve had from grassroots development to the Olympic stage. “I want to extend a special thank you to Andrej Lemanis and Brian Goorjian for bringing me into the Boomers coaching staff - your mentorship and contributions to this program have been truly inspiring. “I’m excited to get to work, building a team that will represent Australia with pride and continue to strengthen the Boomers’ great legacy and culture.” Caporn has been a Boomers assistant since 2017 and was a part of the staff that oversaw the Aussies’ breakthrough bronze medal in Tokyo in 2021. He was the head coach at Basketball Australia’s Centre of Excellence for seven years, helping nurture some of the country’s top young talent including the likes of now-NBA stars Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels. It came after an NBL career that spanned six years, including 55 appearances as a guard for his hometown Wildcats between 2006 and 2009. It was in that span that Caporn started his coaching journey with roles at the then State Basketball League’s Willetton Tigers and East Perth Eagles before returning to the US to join the staff of St Mary’s, the college breeding ground for Australians where he had previously played. Long-time NBL coach Dean Vickerman has been named the Boomers’ associate head coach, assuming top responsibilities for any stretches where Australian fixtures clash with Caporn’s NBA schedule. Vickerman has won three NBL titles as coach and is two wins away from adding a fourth, with his Melbourne United side locked at 1-1 in the best-of-five grand final series against Illawarra.