Nick Nurse, Raptors Agree to Multiyear Contract Extension

The Toronto Raptors announced Tuesday they have signed head coach Nick Nurse to a multiyear contract extension.

Team president Masai Ujiri provided a statement on the move:

"Our confidence in Nick just continues to grow, and part of that comes from what we've experienced together. The past two seasons have been unlike any other in our team's history—first, winning our championship, and then navigating a global pandemic and committing long-term to the fight against racism and for social justice. Nick has proved that he can coach on the court and lead in life, and we're looking forward to accomplishing great things in the future."

The Raptors promoted Nurse to head coach in 2018 after he spent five years as an assistant under Dwane Casey, who the team fired after the 2017-18 season.

The 53-year-old Iowa native led Toronto to the franchise's first championship in 2019 during his first campaign at the helm.

He has guided the team to a terrific 111-43 regular-season record during his two-year tenure along with a 23-12 mark in the playoffs.

Nurse, a former guard at Northern Iowa, started his coaching career as a student coach with the Panthers program in 1989-90. After a short-lived pro playing career in England, he became a full-time coach in 1991 and served in various capacities across Europe and North America for two decades.

His first major break came in 2007 when he became head coach of the Iowa Energy in the NBA Development League. He spent four years leading the Energy and two more as head coach of the league's Rio Grande Valley Vipers before joining Toronto's staff.

He has found immediate success with the Raptors, including another playoff appearance in 2019-20 following the departure of Kawhi Leonard and the NBA Coach of the Year Award, warranting a new contract extension.

Losing to the Boston Celtics in seven games in the second round of the 2020 postseason did little to hurt the perception surrounding the franchise's future under Nurse.

He has worked his way into the conversation about the NBA's top head coaches. His new deal will keep him in Toronto for the foreseeable future as the franchise attempts to remain in title contention.