Cody Toppert

Cody Toppert
Cody Toppert
Born	January 10, 1983 (age 43); Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Basketball coach, former professional player
Years active	2005–present
Known for	Head coach of Capital City Go-Go in the NBA G League; former professional basketball player

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Cody Toppert, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 28 November 2025

Cody Arlyn Toppert (born January 10, 1983) is an American basketball coach and former professional player, presently serving as the head coach for the Capital City Go-Go in the NBA G League.

High school career

Hailing from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Toppert attended Albuquerque Academy from 1998 to 2001, where he earned distinction as a two-time USA Today All-American in high school basketball. In 2001, he was honored as New Mexico's Player of the Year and received first-team recognition at the city, district, and state levels. Additionally, he was twice awarded District Most Valuable Player. Toppert showcased his talents at the Adidas ABCD Camp and was acknowledged as the premier shooting guard at the Five-Star Basketball Camp. Basketball runs in his family, with his father Bob, mother Linda, and brother Chad all having competed for the University of New Mexico.

College career

Toppert was a standout athlete at Cornell University between 2001 and 2005, starting all four years under coach Steve Donahue. He concluded his collegiate career ranked ninth in total points scored with 1,232, first in career three-pointers made with 237, and second in games played at 108 appearances. Within the Ivy League, he holds the sixth position for total three-point shots made.

Professional career

Upon graduating in 2005, Toppert became the inaugural player assigned to the NBDL's Albuquerque Thunderbirds, led by former NBA Defensive Player of the Year Michael Cooper. He contributed significantly to securing the Thunderbirds’ first D-League championship title. Subsequently, he competed internationally in New Zealand for the Taranaki Mountainairs, where he led the league with an average of 22.1 points per game. His European tenure included playing for FC Barreirense in Portugal, averaging 12.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per contest while helping the team reach its first-ever Cup of Portugal Final Four and Taca De Liga Cofidis quarterfinals.

During the 2007–08 season, Toppert played with the Great Falls Explorers of the CBA, coached by former NBA All-Star Scott Wedman. He averaged 16 points, three rebounds, and three assists per game and earned three CBA Player of the Week awards. In 2009, he signed with Germany’s Basketball Bundesliga club MEG Göttingen. The next season saw him with BC Wiessenhorn, posting averages of 19 points, 6.5 rebounds, and two assists per game. In summer 2010, he joined the Plymouth Raiders competing in the British Basketball League.

After a season in England, Toppert moved to Italy’s Fulgor Libertas Forli before transferring to Spain’s Club Ourense Baloncesto. He concluded his playing days with Basquet Mallorca (CB Mallorquí) in Spain's second-tier LEB Oro league.

Coaching career

Following retirement from playing professionally, Toppert dedicated two years as Director of Basketball Development and coach at ELEV|8 Sports Institute located in Delray Beach, Florida. There, he trained athletes preparing for NBA Pre-Draft evaluations and international competition. He also coached at multiple camps including the NBA Pre-Draft Combine during 2013–14 and compiled a coaching record of 101–19 across three seasons. Additionally, he briefly served as an assistant coach at Scottsdale Christian Academy.

On October 14, 2015, Toppert was appointed assistant coach for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. On November 2, 2017, he was promoted to head coach of the newly established Northern Arizona Suns for their inaugural season in the NBA G League. Although his team started with a loss against the Agua Caliente Clippers, Toppert successfully developed five players who earned NBA call-ups—three of whom advanced to join the Phoenix Suns. Under his guidance, Northern Arizona led all teams with an average of 14.9 three-pointers made per game.

Building on this achievement, Toppert was elevated to assistant coach with the Phoenix Suns. Following a difficult season finishing with a 19–63 record under head coach Igor Kokoškov, he transitioned into college basketball as an assistant under Penny Hardaway at the University of Memphis. During this period, he contributed to developing three NBA All-Stars and twelve NBA draftees while mentoring three of the four highest-paid undrafted players in NBA history.

On June 10, 2019, Toppert joined the coaching staff of the Memphis Tigers men's basketball team as Sam Mitchell’s replacement. The Tigers led NCAA Division I in opponent field goal percentage defense during his tenure; he oversaw player development for top prospects James Wiseman and Precious Achiuwa. Toppert also introduced advanced analytics systems utilizing LUCEO's Sports PD App and managed one of college basketball’s most sophisticated analytics programs. In November 2021, The Athletic recognized him among its "40 under 40" rising stars in college basketball. The Tigers reached the second round of the NCAA tournament in 2022.

In April 2022, Toppert became part of Matt McMahon’s coaching staff at LSU. Earlier on June 26, 2020, he had been announced as head coach for Eberlein Drive competing in The Basketball Tournament.

On September 21, 2023, Toppert was appointed head coach of the Capital City Go-Go franchise within the NBA G League.

2023–2024 Season

During his inaugural year with the Go-Go, Toppert guided the team to a 20-14 record in the regular season, equaling a franchise milestone, and achieved fourth place in the Eastern Conference. This marked the team's third straight playoff qualification. Altogether, the Go-Go secured a franchise-record 29 victories.

2024–2025 Season

Toppert replicated his prior season’s performance by again finishing 20-14 in the regular season and leading the team to a new franchise-high of 31 total wins. Under his direction, the Go-Go reached the playoffs for a second consecutive year.

Toppert’s coaching tenure is distinguished by consistent success in both winning games and fostering player growth; seven players from the Go-Go earned promotions to the NBA during his leadership. His squads are recognized as top-tier in both offensive and defensive metrics across the G League.

External links