2016 NBL BASKETBALL HAWKS HEAD COACH NAMED.
The Hawks basketball franchise has named Kirstin Daly-Taylor as its new coach to spearhead the National Basketball League (NBL) campaign from next year.
The former Tall Fern has signed a five-year contract after serving as Hawks assistant coach under then former coach Paul Henare from 2011-12.
After spurning advances from previous franchises to be the head coach, why has Daly-Taylor changed her mind now?
“We’re not bringing a championship home and then getting financially screwed and out of it the next year,” said the straight-talking 46-year-old, who raved about the franchise board’s initiative to establish a Shawn Dennis-type programme that would attempt to secure players for three to five years as well as entice home-grown talent from high schools.
Dennis, an Australian, is the only coach to take the Hawks to an NBL crown in 2006. He now coaches the Townsville Crocodiles in the Australian National basketball League (ANBL) after serving as assistant with the Perth Wildcats.
Daly-Taylor said she had engaged in a lengthy meeting with the franchise board to ensure it was a five-year stint as opposed to a six-month one.
The Napier Boys’ High School (NBHS) science teacher and dean felt 2016 would be “workable and sustainable before we move things in a year or two”.
With new NBHS headmaster Matthew Bertram expected to arrive here from Scots College in Wellington soon Daly-Taylor hoped to take him out for lunch to enlighten him on her template.
She juxtaposed her teaching career with a “semi-professional full-time coaching job” as a sustainable package.
“For me, the coaching is about having loyalty and passion for the Hawks. It’s very much because I still live here.
“I’m not doing this job in the hope of getting the next job in the United States or Philippines or somewhere else.
“I’m doing it because I want to be here, my life is here, my home is here and it makes perfect sense.”
Board chairman Keith Price said five people “had shown interest” in the position and three of them were from the Bay.
“Kirstin is someone we were very interested in and I had done my research on her and, once we had a cuppa and bikkies, we were satisfied she was heading in the right direction,” said Price, a Napier City councillor, emphasising the urgency to appoint a coach and put the Hawks faithful’s mind to rest.
Three candidiates were shortlisted and interim player/coach/captain from last season Paora Winitana was among them but he withdrew his nomination.
“Paora was happy with where we were heading so he withdrew,” Price said.
At the risk of coming across somewhat arrogant, Daly-Taylor said her mission statement was always “about winning championships”, a sentiment Price echoed when dismissing speculation last month the Hawks were not going to enter the NBL race next year.
“How I roll is I play to win. I want to set up a programme and the goal is to make the top four every season and then focus on the semifinals and finals,” she said, reflecting the Dennis era when anything shy of playoffs was deemed objectionable.
“My philosophy is that it’s about creating a programme players want to come to, especially Hawke’s Bay kids, and to create an environment where players feel valued and take ownership. It’ll be like a family”
Impartiality is a foundation in trying to procure that tantalising balance between parochialism and winning a title.
“I’m always fair. You play because you’re the best. I’m honest. I’m big on experience, knowledge and passion.”
Daly-Kirstin was disappointed to find out Mataeus Marsh, of Hastings Boys’ High School, would be playing for the Auckland franchise.
She is “under intense negotiations” to recruit to start training from January 16 and finalise a squad of 14 by February 15.
“We’re late but, importantly, we’re in [the NBL],” said Daly-Taylor also “devastated” the Manawatu Jets won’t be the two-hour derby next year.