Hoops

36ers seeking new coach

I REALLY hope 5AA is wrong. I just don't think you appoint an even more inexperienced coach after Ninnis. Its just a big risk and if Maher struggles, SOS will be forced to sack a club legend.

We should get an experienced coach with a decent track record. If the Sixers can't afford one then nothing will change. They will continue to be mediocre and the days of being a powerhouse will become an ever more distant memory.

5aa had the 36ers onair and in the studio every week, this season - but when they sack the coach, they refuse to come on air.
Anyways - Maher is a state legend - they will talk to him upon his appointment,next week.

Radio 5aa - are saying - Stirling, Goorjian knocked it back and they will appoint Brett Maher.

Spinner, that sounds like a January camp

While The Sydney Kings are definately trying to lure Brian Goorjian there, as first priority.

Brett Maher with Steve Breheny as assistant would cover the local hero media wise, but with the brains behind the Smyth era backing him up. Both are also local so no need to entice them here.

Channel 9 said Jan is not interested

It was radio 5aa -
( steven rowe said that his mail is Maher has applied and - an email asked it there's truth in the rumuor that Maher is in discussions with the 36ers for the position of Head Coach.)

Maher has applied - (according to the radio, just then)

I think they should think outside the box and go for something totally different. get someone from either the states or europe. most of the fans here hate goorj. stacker and joyce have had there time lets try something new.

Bad luck Scotty, wish you all the best for the future.

This time we will (hopefully) get the best coach available, not the best favourite son available.

Unfortunately SOS had to hire Scott, because public sentiment would not have let them sack him after one year. Now they can start from scratch and hopefully get the best coach that is available (according to budget).

Cooks is a good call.
Cooks and KB did well at the Hawks on a tight budget.

Who is the AIS coach again?




Hard luck Scotty, thanks for the playing memories, and thanks for the efforts in coaching. Pity it ended poorly. You are still a favourite Adelaide boy.

If its possible financially, BG. I would rather win ugly then not win

Ah the usual pains; get a proven championship winning coach like Boy Goorj but get a play style that not many sixer fans want to see; or go for a coach everyone can handle like BJ but not be able to guarantee any level of success.

Jan Stirling would be interesting as a selection. More for the "breakthrough into men's pro circuit in AUS" than anything else. She would be a good choice; however you've always got that classic "sexist" question to ask "Would a group of male basketballers seriously follow the instructions of a female coach?"

Personally, she should be seriously considered. Has already proven to be a great coach in basketball, certainly worth giving her a shot.

They tried to get Ben Fitz on air to explain to fans why he was sacked.
Scottie, also said he didn't wanna go on air -
But, when the question was asked - did he have player support? - That made him decide to speak.

budgie I was waiting to see when Shane Heal would get a mention, funny call. Seriously though I went to one game early in the season and walked away unimpressed and so the season followed. If BG was appointed and monitored closely I reckon he would bring some real mungral to the team, then maybe faid outs would be a thing of the past.

I don't think it's too wise for any club to go on air about any sackings, keep it all official and have any discussions they want to have with Scotty behind closed doors.

The News will beat it up to make a story and get conversations and ratings.

Scotty was a great player for us and a legend of our club no doubt, we all wanted him as coach and when he finally did arrive I think he got more than his opportunity to show what he has to offer. If the player rumblings are true than that is a sad situation for Scotty as coach but unfortunately wins is what counts no matter the team unity.

I will continue to remember Scotty for his flat top fast break dunks and those spot pop threes that you never expected, sure there will be a slight memory of his coaching stint but that in no way dominate what Scotty has given to this club.

You never know he may well go on to coach else where and prove the Sixers wrong, whatever Scotty's future holds best of luck and thanks for the efforts.

SOS really needs to get it right this coming season for the fans and sponsors so hopefully they are heading in a clean out direction with Scotty getting the chop.

As they say the only way is up!

I would be vigorously pursuing Brian Gorjian. For those who think he would be going back to Sydney, I don't think we are in competition with Sydney, especially if his price is too high. Sydney have already folded under him as coach and a new team coming back in the league would be rather cautious about that. More so than Adelaide with a bigger and greater fan base and respectable history of the club. If you think about the crowd numbers this past season when the team has had its poorest season in history, you would have to say the passion is there through thick and thin. With a passionate crowd tolerating poor performances, then the club can only grow with success. Paying a bit more to Goorjian could be the formula to growing the club further. This background support is something that a new Sydney franchise would not have in their first year back. If anyone wants to argue that Goorjians style of play is boring to watch, nothing has been as boring as this past season.

Congratulations SOS for making the tough decision. Its an indication that you have the success of the club in mind. With that commitment I fully trust that you will make the right decision again when appointing a new head coach. Well done and now can put the past behind and look forward to the coming season.

Dont think Maher would seek an appointment as a coach, with his personal training business, his foundation and his family life.

However now that we have gotten our wish with Ninnis getting the sack, whats the deal with the players?

Can I ask to ditch perhaps Tez!

Do that and I might buy an extra few memberships next year.

Skud - that's true about the media beat up.

(fiveaa asked the 36ers to come on air - but they wouldn't.) ??

Disappointed but not surprised. I wish Scott the best and hope he bounces back from this experience.

Fill Smythe - I was listening to Scottie on radio , when he was on ch7 and 9 at the same time and they'd mentioned Goorjian Breheney Stirling as most likely.

Not sure whether Smyth said he was available - or whether he was talking about Breheney or himself - didnt quite catch it - with 3 interviews going on at the same time.

he does love the 36ers - was still saying 'we' and thanks for support.
In some ways he was expecting it - he mentioned
and had the meeting and understood.
But now the tv news is saying he didn't have player support or contract- He's devestated.
He signed Burston and Herbert.
Sometimes players he and players have disagreements on things.
Those thinking they should get more minutes and the like.
He was ok, until about an hour ago - hearing some of the things being said on tv news.

A bit hard to keep up with it all - Scott on radio and Tv at the same time.
I DOO feel very sorry for him -
Apparently some media are saying he didn't have player respect or a contract ?

Goorjian Breheney Stirling - mentioned as in the mix

Is it just me or does the statement read a tad off by the club.

The Hood Sweeney 36ers acknowledge Scott Ninnis' contribution to the history of the Adelaide 36ers in his roles as player, assistant coach and head coach. Scott has been involved with the club since 1985 which made the decision around positioning the club for the future a difficult one for all concerned.

Dean Vickerman (not sure if he has any bagage with 36ers) would be an excellent fit.
Knowledgable, knows league, great manner with players, knows the game.
Word has it that Lemanis plays his cards close to chest and Vickerman must be itching to get his teeth into something a little more substantial the assistant.

Jack, nice Douglas Adams quote. Hope that doesn't mean the Sixers/ Dome are about to be annihilated to make way for a new hyperspace bypass?

Oh yeah, also meant to say that I hope the new coach is given a budget and is allowed to recruit his own team, rather than inheriting players he may not want and having to make the pieces fit.

While I feel sorry for Scotty, he unfortunately needed to be cut from the senior role.

Yes, we have had a very tight season. This NBL season was the tightest ever and there is no denying that the bottom four teams are unlucky.

Yes, we have had injuries to players. Our season has been hampered by injuries to players, esp starting 5: Burston (hand); Ballinger (back); Gilly (knee); Herbie (eye); Jake (foot).

This has placed us behind the 8 ball and there is no denying that.

I firmly believe that underplaying some players has cost us games.

However, there were some games we should have won and should have played better and some of his coaching decisions should be reviewed.

Regardless of all those difficulties, a senior coach makes the most of what he has and inspires the team to bigger and better things. I ask myself the question, has Scotty got what it takes to inspire the boys and make lemonade from his lemons?

Having said that, I do not believe he is a terrible coach and I feel he would make an excellent assistant coach, or have been an excellent senior coach with an experienced assistant coach.

To all the people calling for Brett to be the senior coach - just get a grip. Brett needs to serve a term as a coach at ABA, then as an assistant before he could be made the senior Sixers coach.

To Scott: "so long and thanks for all the fish"

Ninnis has been a great contributor to the Sixers for many years and it is always tough to sack a guy like that, but SOS has made the hard decision and I congratulate them for that.

As far as keeping Ninnis on in another capacity, I think that is a bad idea. There needs to be a clean break so the new coach has a free run.

I like the idea of someone like Stacker or Black. Needs to be someone with solid head coaching experience in the NBL, a decent professional league overseas, or an up and coming US college coach. As much as I respect Brett Maher, I think his lack of coaching experience is too risky. It would also be a poor move strategically, because if Maher struggles, ownership ends up being forced to undermine the reputation of the club's biggest legend by sacking him! Not a good look!

I don't think we should consider Joyce, who was a good coach for a number of years early on, but seemingly managed to lose the plot and completely alienate everyone in Wollongong in later years. A coach needs to be more balanced as a leader and able to maintain a good rep around the league, or the club will never be able to recruit any players!

I'm open to the idea of Goorjian if he comes at the right price and can achieve success without bankrupting the club. My gut feeling is that he would ask for too much though and given all the old rivalries, it'd be much more satisfying if we could get the guy who eventually eclipses Goorjian as a coach!

I've heard Chris Lucas is in town and available?

Tab is probably available but two things to keep in mind. He would cost more than you could afford.
He would would do a good job but only if he could bring in better players, again at a cost you could not afford.

Given that his overseas experiences, Paok, U Mobitelco and recently Kepez have all resulted in sackings, his long term value to Adelaide would also be questionable.

SoJ could play with the 6ers if Brendan Joyce coaches!

Seriously though, Goorjian should be the SOS goal.

He was always going to be under the pump. There were many things about the season that didn't work in his favour (underperforming players, a very competitive competition, some bizarre scheduling) but ultimately the team definitely didn't perform as well as it should have, and while I'm merely a fan, there was a lot about the Sixers this year that indicated they weren't being given the direction they needed.

Tough but necessary decision by the SOS.

Whether you like Ninnis as a person or not, he really did struggle to bring the 6ers team together this season.

Tab Baldwin could be a great fit...but if you are after the best, I would be chasing Goorjian myself. He has been rumoured as wanting to come back to Oz to coach...

Thanks goodness this sorry chapter in the club's history is now over. I concede that it must take a lot of skill to coach a team to bottom place in the NBL, but as a supporter who doesn't know the guy personally he has come across as 100% average since his first game in charge - not the sort of person to be coaching one of the competition's most successful teams. Only one way to go from here!

Great decision made by the club
How about chasing a coach like Tab Baldwin?
Did a great job in NZ

Maher would make a very good coach
(seems a bit reluctant)

5aa trying to get him on tonite.

( Goorjian with Cole on the board - might be good)

Interesting!

Could Boy Goorj be headed to Adelaide?

Is Ian Stacker is available?

Who else is in line do you think?