In Need of Backup? Call Coach Perry Huang

Basketball season is demanding. Sacrifice and commitment come with the job. But sometimes, life presents moments bigger than basketball. What do you do then? Especially if you’re the head coach? 

For South Bay Lakers head coach Zach Guthrie, the answer was clear. As he and his wife welcomed their son while the season was still underway, Guthrie turned to his assistant, Perry Huang, and asked him to step up. 

The opportunity carried weight for Huang. Not because it was his first time leading a team, but because of where it happened. 

“For me, I think it’s a true blessing,” Huang said. “A lot of attitude of gratitude, honestly. Just knowing the trust coming from up top—having to be approved to do this—especially for the Lakers, the type of organization they are and the prestige behind it.” 

That trust extended throughout the organization, from Guthrie to Lakers head coach JJ Redick to South Bay Lakers general manager Nick Mazzella. Being approved at every level reinforced the trust placed in him. 

“I think that gave me confidence from the beginning,” Huang said. 

In the days leading up to his first game as interim head coach, Huang didn’t feel traditional nerves. Instead, there was anticipation, a restless energy that would dissolve.   

“If you put in the hours and reps, you kind of just feel prepared,” he said. “I felt like that’s what it was for the most part.” 

South Bay finished with a 2-1 record under Huang’s leadership. But the lone loss to the Oklahoma City Blue may have offered him the most growth. 

“It was a crunch-time game where you have to make decisions to win or protect a lead,” he said. “Those reps are really valuable. You look back and think, ‘I could’ve done this, this, or this.’ But I liked getting that experience. Next time, I’ll know exactly what to do.” 

The wins, however, were the most memorable. 

After his first victory, players and staff celebrated by dumping a water jug over his head. 

“It was cold. Very cold,” Huang laughed. 

“I was walking around in wet pants, wet socks, wet shoes, and a wet wool sweater for like two hours,” he said. “People were congratulating me, my hair was wet, I was holding the basketball, and I was just freezing. I kept thinking, ‘Can I just go back to my room?’” 

It wasn’t Huang’s first celebratory shower, but it was the first time the cooler was aimed at him. 

Huang began his coaching career at Cal State San Marcos and Monterey Peninsula College following his playing days at Fresno Pacific University. He entered the professional ranks as a coaching associate with the Santa Cruz Warriors, where he won his first D-League championship in 2015. During the 2017–18 season, he served as an analytics coordinator for the Northern Arizona Suns and as an advance scout and video coordinator for BC Prievidza of the Slovak Basketball League. 

A Monterey, California native, Huang joined the Northern Arizona Suns as an assistant coach in 2018–19 before holding assistant roles with the Erie BayHawks and Birmingham Squadron in the NBA G League. He also joined the WNBA’s Seattle Storm as a video coordinator in 2018, was promoted to assistant coach in 2021, and served in that role through the 2024 season, winning two championships along the way. 

Yet, something about his experience with the Lakers has felt different. 

“You walk in and see the trophies, the names on the wall, the banners,” Huang said. “Growing up as a basketball fan, you watched these people. Now you’re interacting with them daily.” 

“It’s LA, so there’s more glamour,” he continued. “Even South Bay Lakers games are a production. There’s a reason it’s called the Lake Show. Sometimes you pinch yourself realizing you’re a small part of that.” 

Still, beyond the spectacle, Huang’s motivation has always been rooted in development. 

“Every day is about getting a little better,” he said. “Stacking days. Getting one percent better.” 

One of his favorite moments as a coach came when Kylor Kelly earned an NBA call-up after nearly four years of grinding in the G League. 

“Seeing a guy work his way up like that is special,” He said. 

But in Los Angeles, even the quieter moments, working in the shadows, still carry star power. Like when LeBron James joins a South Bay practice to ramp up for the season. 

“Seeing LeBron’s name pop up in practice planning was wild,” Huang said. “Everyone was on their Ps and Qs. Then you realize he’s just a basketball player. In a basketball setting, he’s just normal.” 

Maybe it’s that, the simplicity, the unifying properties of this game that have kept Huang hooked for years and made him a coach his staff can depend on.  

“I played college basketball and have coached for over 10 years,” he said. “When I was done playing, I just knew I wanted to stay around the game in some way.”