Veteran international coach Alan Walls has been appointed head coach of Guyana’s men’s national basketball team as the country steps up preparations for the upcoming FIBA AmeriCup 2029 Caribbean Pre-Qualifiers, set for July 8-12 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall in Georgetown.
The appointment was announced by the (GBF), which believes the experienced Canadian-American coach can help guide Guyana’s ambitions of advancing along the qualification pathway for the 2029 FIBA AmeriCup.
Walls arrives with more than 30 years of international coaching and basketball operations experience, having worked in 17 countries across five continents. Throughout his career, he has been involved in developing national programmes, building competitive teams and mentoring athletes at various levels of the game.
GBF President Michael Singh said the federation is confident Walls possesses the leadership qualities and expertise needed to strengthen Guyana’s programme ahead of the regional competition.
“Alan Walls is exactly the kind of leader we need as Guyana sets its sights on the AmeriCup,” Singh stated.
“His track record of taking national programmes from Malta to Mongolia to El Salvador and making them competitive at the FIBA level speaks for itself. He’s built systems, developed players, and won. We believe he can do the same here.”
Walls most recently served as head coach of the Malta men’s national team, where he enjoyed considerable success. Under his guidance, Malta finished runner-up at the 2022 FIBA Championship for Small Countries before securing a silver medal at the 2023 Games of the Small States of Europe.
His international résumé also includes national team head coaching roles with the basketball federations of El Salvador, Mongolia and Kenya.
In addition, he worked in consulting capacities with the basketball federations of Turkey, Romania and Palestine between 2005 and 2011.
Beyond the international game, Walls has coached professionally in the United States, Guatemala, El Salvador, Mongolia and Mexico.
He has also served as an NCAA Division III assistant coach and was camp director for FIBA’s Children of the World Basketball Camp during the 2010 FIBA World Championships in Turkey.
Walls combines his coaching experience with a strong academic background, holding a Master’s degree in Sport and Exercise Science from the University of Northern Colorado.
His expertise includes athlete development, performance management and long-term programme building.
His contributions to basketball also extend into education and development. He is the founder of TheHoopVine.com and 3x3HQ.com, platforms focused on basketball learning and growth, and has worked extensively as an international athletic director at American schools across Central America.
Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, Walls will split his time between the United States and Guyana as he begins assembling the national team roster and coaching staff ahead of the Caribbean Pre-Qualifiers.
The tournament, which will be hosted in Georgetown from July 8-12, is expected to feature several Caribbean nations competing for places in the next stage of qualification. The official schedule and participating matchups are expected to be announced by FIBA Americas in the coming weeks.
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