In a LinkedIn post swiftly deleted earlier this morning, the Portland Fire accidentally announced the hiring of the head coach Alex Sarama.

If the post was accurate – I am seeking confirmation from the Fire front office – Sarama would mark history as the WNBA expansion franchise’s first ever head coach.

Sarama’s basketball journey literally spans the globe: growing up in Guildford, a small English town southwest of London, he caught the coaching bug at an early age. Just after his 14th birthday, Sarama began coaching the under-12 team at his school. He went on to start his own amateur club at 16, the Guildford Goldhawks. Under Sarama’s guidance, the Goldhawks produced over 10 England Junior National Team players. 

After graduating from the University of Nottingham in 2016, Sarama worked for NBA Europe in Madrid. From there, he collected passport stamps via coaching jobs in Belgium, Italy, France, and eventually Oregon. For one season in 2023-24, Sarama worked as an assistant coach with the Portland Trailblazers’ G-League affiliate, the Rip City Remix. At the same time, he worked remotely in the front office of the British Basketball League’s London Lions, a club run by current Portland Fire general manager Vanja Černivec.

Sarama spent last season as the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Director of Player Development. Multiple outlets reported that he interviewed with Vanja Černivec last week. The WNBA’s collective bargaining deadline is next week, and barring a lockout, Sarama and the Fire would tip-off in May 2026.