Brian Robert Lynch (born June 12, 1978) is an American retired professional basketball player and current coach.

Early life

Lynch was born in

Point Pleasant, New Jersey Point Pleasant is a Borough (New Jersey), borough situated on the Jersey Shore, in northern Ocean County, New Jersey, Ocean County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 18,941, an i ...

to Mary and Richard Lynch, a now-retired

Belmar, New Jersey Belmar is a Borough (New Jersey), borough located on the Jersey Shore in Monmouth County, New Jersey, Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 5,907, an increase of 113 ...

police chief. Lynch is of Irish descent. He grew up in

and went to high school at Christian Brothers Academy. He played

college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...

Villanova University Villanova University is a Private university, private Catholic Church, Catholic research university in Villanova, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded by the Order of Saint Augustine in 1842 and named after Thomas of Villanova, Saint Thom ...

, scoring 992 points."Clijsters, Lynch wed in Belgian ceremony"
''

Asbury Park Press The ''Asbury Park Press'', formerly known as the ''Shore Press'', ''Daily Press'', ''Asbury Park Daily Press'', and ''Asbury Park Evening Press'', is the third largest daily newspaper in the state of New Jersey. Established in 1879, it has been o ...

'', July 14, 2007. Accessed July 25, 2007.

High school career

Lynch attended Christian Brothers Academy (CBA) in

Lincroft, New Jersey Lincroft is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Middletown Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States.All-State First Team by multiple New Jersey media outlets, averaging over 20 points per game. In his junior year, Lynch played a pivotal role in CBA’s Non-Public A state championship run, finishing with a team-best scoring average and earning All-Shore recognition. His performances drew interest from several Division I programs, ultimately leading him to commit to

. Lynch's success at CBA contributed to the school's strong basketball tradition and earned him a reputation as one of the top high school players in New Jersey during the mid-1990s.

College career

Lynch played four seasons of NCAA Division I basketball at

from 1996 to 2000 under head coach

Steve Lappas Stephan Thomas Lappas (born March 18, 1954) is an American former college basketball coach. He coached at Manhattan (1988–1992), Villanova (1992–2001) and UMass (2001–2005), compiling a 280–237 (.542) record over a 17-year coaching ca ...

. He appeared in 117 games, starting 64, and averaged 8.5 points and 3.1 rebounds per game over his collegiate career. Lynch finished with 992 career points, just shy of the 1,000-point milestone. As a junior during the 1998–99 season, Lynch started all 32 games and averaged a career-best 10.4 points per game. He led the

Big East Conference The Big East Conference (stylized as BIG EAST) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference that competes in National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA NCAA Division I, Division I in 10 men's sports and 12 women's sports. H ...

in three-point field goal percentage that season, shooting 41.4% from beyond the arc. In his senior year (1999–2000), Lynch served as team captain. During his tenure, Villanova made NCAA Tournament appearances in 1997 and 1999. In the summer of 1999, Lynch was selected to join the Nike NIT All-Stars for a European tour, playing games in Austria and the Czech Republic.

Career

After graduating from

in 2000, Lynch began a professional basketball career in Europe. Over the next several years, he played for teams in Poland, Israel, Portugal, Greece, Germany, Italy, France, and Belgium. In 2004, he signed with Euphony Bree, where he played until 2008. During his tenure, Bree captured the

Pro Basketball League The Pro Basketball League (PBL), was the highest tier level professional basketball league in Belgium for sports clubs, clubs. In 2021, the league was succeeded by the Belgian-Dutch BNXT League. The league is organized by the Basketball League B ...

championship in 2005. Lynch finished his playing career with the

Antwerp Giants Antwerp Giants, named Windrose Giants Antwerp for sponsorship reasons, is a Belgian professional basketball club based in Antwerp. Their home arena is Lotto Arena. The club plays in the BNXT League, the highest tier of Belgian basketball. The c ...

during the 2008–09 season. In 2013, Lynch transitioned into coaching as an assistant with the Antwerp Giants. In March 2014, he was appointed head coach of the newly established club

Limburg United Limburg United, for sponsorship reasons named Hubo Limburg United, is a professional basketball club based in Hasselt, Limburg, Belgium. Founded in 2014, the club plays in the BNXT League, the first tier of basketball in Belgium. The team plays i ...

, signing a five-year contract. Under Lynch’s leadership, the team reached the

Belgian Cup The Belgian Cup (; ; ) is the main knockout football competition in Belgium, run by the Royal Belgian FA. The competition started in 1908 with provincial selections as the "Belgian Provinces Cup". Starting from 1912 only actual clubs were allowed ...

final in the 2016–17 season. He was named Belgian League Coach of the Year in 2015. On June 6, 2017, Lynch was hired as head coach of

Spirou Charleroi Spirou Basket, commonly known simply as Spirou, is a Belgian professional basketball club that is located in Charleroi. The club competes in the BNXT League, the highest tier of basketball in Belgium. The club's home arena is the Spiroudome which ...

for the 2017–18 season. He was dismissed from the position on November 25, 2018. Lynch returned to Limburg United for the 2018–19 season but stepped down in March 2020. In 2021, Lynch returned to the United States and became head boys’ basketball coach at St. Rose High School in

. During his tenure, he led the team to multiple Shore Conference titles and state tournament appearances. In May 2025, he was named the new head coach at Christian Brothers Academy, his alma mater in

Lincroft, New Jersey Lincroft is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Middletown Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States.Kim Clijsters Kim Antonie Lode Clijsters (; born 8 June 1983) is a Belgian former professional tennis player. She was ranked as the world No. 1 in women's singles by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) for 20 weeks, and as the world No. 1 in women's double ...

. The couple wed in a private civil ceremony at 6:00 a.m. on July 13, 2007, at the town hall in Bree, Belgium. The early-morning event was attended only by their parents and siblings, allowing them to avoid media attention. The ceremony was officiated by Bree's mayor, Jaak Gabriels. The couple has three children. Their daughter, Jada Elle Lynch, was born on February 27, 2008. Their first son, Jack Leon Lynch, was born on September 18, 2013, followed by their second son, Blake Richard Lynch, born in October 2016. The family divides their time between Belgium and the United States. They spend autumns in Bree, Belgium, where their children attend school, and summers in Wall Township, New Jersey, where they own a home purchased in 2009.

References

External links