The New Zealand Breakers are trumpeting a club-defining appointment after locking in the services of World Cup-winning coach Gordon Herbert.

The well-travelled Canadian will take over from Finland's Petteri Koponen, who earlier this year opted not to extend his contract, on a two-year deal.

Gordon will balance the role while helming a stacked Canadian team, headlined by two-time NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, as they chase Olympic gold at LA's 2028 Games.

He arrives with a lengthy resume, headlined by his World Cup gold with Germany in 2023.

The former Canadian national team player also coached multiple clubs in Germany, France, Finland, Austria, Greece and Russia, and has experience in the NBA as an assistant with Toronto.

"This is a club with a prestigious history and a clear ambition for the future," he said.

"We want to play a fast-paced style of basketball that delivers winning results."

He will pull the strings of a roster that includes Parker Jackson-Cartwright, Sam Mennenga and Dejan Vasiljevic.

The Breakers won four titles in five years between 2011 and 2015 but, apart from a 2023 grand final appearance, have battled to compete as the club underwent administrative change.

"The Breakers are putting in place the key pieces of our championship puzzle, and Gordon has proven he can deliver championship-winning, high-performance teams," Breakers chairman and owner Marc Mitchell said on Wednesday.

"When the club started this process, we committed to searching the globe to find one of the world's best to lead the Breakers.

"We are thrilled to get someone of Gordie's calibre to join us in New Zealand and lead us on the court."