The Portland Fire are expected to name Cleveland Cavaliers assistant coach Alex Sarama as the first head coach of the WNBA expansion franchise, Front Office Sports reported.
News of Sarama’s hiring was posted on the club’s LinkedIn page on Tuesday before being deleted. Yet, according to the report, Sarama has been confirmed as the Fire’s choice, with a contract still to be finalized.
Sarama was hired in 2024 as the Cavaliers’ director of player development and was named assistant coach for the 2025-26 season. A native of England, he has experience in the Pacific Northwest as an assistant coach and director of player development for the Portland Trail Blazers’ G League affiliate, the Rip City Remix.
The Fire will begin play with the 2026 season.
Once contract negotiations are finalized, Sarama would become the latest NBA assistant coach to become a head coach in the WNBA. Among those who made the decision was Nate Tibbetts, who led the Phoenix Mercury to the WNBA Finals this season.
–Field level media
