NZL – Dennis succeeds McHugh at helm of Tall Ferns

AUCKLAND (Women National Team) - New Zealand have appointed Shawn Dennis as coach of the women’s national team.

The 43-year-old, who is currently at the helm of the Bay Hawks in the National Basketball League, has signed a two-year deal to lead the Tall Ferns.

Dennis will have a baptism of fire with the national team because in September, he will lead New Zealand in a two-game FIBA Oceania Women’s Championship series against 2006 world champions Australia.

Only one Oceania berth is available for next year’s FIBA World Championship for Women in the Czech Republic.

“It’s every coach’s dream to be involved with a national team and to have that sort of talent already there is a bonus,” Dennis said.

“To have the first series against the defending world champions Australia, it means there are great challenges.”

Dennis was a Tall Ferns assistant under previous head coach Mike McHugh from 2005-06 and he also served as head coach of the U21 Junior Tall Ferns in 2006.

Leigh Gooding, an assistant to McHugh last year at the Beijing Basketball Test Event, and at the Olympic Games where New Zealand beat Mali but lost the rest of their games, was among the front-runners for the job but lost out.

One factor that clearly worked to Dennis’ advantage was his experience with some of the players now in the senior team.

“The Tall Ferns average age at the Beijing Olympics last year was 23, so we’re happy to have a coach of Shawn’s acclaim developing our talent,” Basketball New Zealand national team manager Grant Chapman said.

“I’ve been involved in coaching some of these girls before and getting the chance to coach them at a senior level is great,” Dennis said.

“My expectation is to try to continue the development of this young group that Mike McHugh has started. They had some great results last season and we just need to build on that … I’m looking to push forward with that.”

Dennis has an impressive curriculum vitae.

He has surpassed 100 games coached in the National Basketball League, one of only two current coaches in the 100 Game Club. With his Hawks in sixth this season at 4-4, his 71-36 (66.3 percent) NBL record has him among the best all-time.

Since joining the Hawks in 2004, Dennis has guided the Hawke’s Bay club to the NBL playoffs in five straight seasons, including the NBL finals in three straight (2005-07) and the franchise’s only NBL championship in 2006.

Dennis played 10 seasons in the Australian NBL from 1986-1995 for Newcastle and Hobart.

He was assistant coach with Newcastle from 1993-1997 and head coach the following three years and has also had assistant coaching stints with the Wollongong Hawks, West Sydney Razorbacks and Sydney Spirit.

FIBA