WSU hoops completes coaching staff with addition of George Galanopoulos

PULLMAN – Washington State’s men’s basketball coaching staff is complete.

The Cougars hired assistant coach George Galanopoulos, the program announced Monday, giving head coach David Riley an assistant who spent considerable time at the NBA G League level in past years.

“I’m extremely excited to be able to join the Cougars,” Galanopoulos said via release. “Coach Riley and his staff are building something special here and I’m very grateful for the opportunity to be a part of it. I’m looking forward to working with today’s WSU student-athletes to help develop their games for the next level.”

WSU’s coaching staff includes Riley and assistants Galanopoulos, Jerry Brown, Donald Brady, Blake Fernandez and Pedro Garcia Rosado.

Last season, Galanopoulos worked as the associate head coach of the Rip City Remix, the NBA’s newest G League team, an affiliate of the Portland Trail Blazers. Previously, Galanopoulos spent most of the last 10 years with the Dallas Mavericks organization, working at both the G League and NBA levels.

A Chicago native, Galanopoulos worked from 2019-2023 as the head coach of the G League’s Texas Legends, leading the team to the conference semifinals in 2021-22. In his time with the Dallas Mavericks, he worked on film breakdown and player development, serving as video coordinator for two years.

Galanopoulos also served as the head coach of the Ugandan Men’s National Team in 2017 at the FIBA AfroBasket continental championship. A graduate of Indiana, Galanopoulos started his career as an intern and coach for the Bakersfield Jam, then a D League team in California.

“You want to work hard when you’re with him because he grinds and he’s gonna hold you accountable and he wants to win,” said Mike Schmitz, now an ESPN draft analyst, referring to Galanopoulos in a 2018 Sports Illustrated story.