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Caltech Men’s Basketball Head Coach Dr. Oliver Eslinger has picked up a summer coaching role with the NBA 2K26 Summer League, serving as a Guest Assistant Coach with the Atlanta Hawks.
The opportunity naturally follows 17 years of head coaching and making connections around the basketball world, participating in the NBA professional development program, serving on the Division III national committee, attending numerous conferences and discussing his research and experiences in analytics, sports science and mental performance. Eslinger joins a few other coaches with the Hawks from around the world for this elite opportunity.
“We all speak different languages, but we also speak the same language of basketball,” Eslinger said. “We talk about different ways to teach systems, basketball strategies, organizational concepts and leadership.”
He spoke highly of his colleagues, and enjoys being part of a much larger crew, allowing him to focus on basketball and coaching while the professional support staff handles the other day-to-day responsibilities.
The entire group met in Atlanta for mini-camp and then traveled to Las Vegas together. As a fully embedded member of the coaching staff, Eslinger participates in on-court training, organizational activities, team meetings, and has scouting responsibilities.
“The greatest thing is everyone is on the same page,” said Eslinger. “We share the same vision; everyone wants to help each other and help players get better. There’s a shared respect.”
NBA 2K26 Summer League play began on July 10, with teams playing a minimum of five games — four round-robin games to determine semifinal seeding, followed by either a consolation game or the knockout round culminating in the championship game, which is scheduled for July 20 at UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center. Eslinger and the Hawks have won the first three games of their campaign, with the critical fourth game slated for Thursday, July 17 at 3:00 p.m. PDT against the Memphis Grizzlies.
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Caltech Men’s Basketball
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