The big names aren’t just on the courts of the Foot Locker Australian School Championship with retired greats coaching teams from right around the country.
Olympian Emma McDonald, who made history with the Australian Opals in 2006 winning the country’s first senior gold medal at the FIBA World Cup, is assisting Championship team John Paul College from Queensland for a second straight year.
“When it comes to coaching, I just love being part of the girls’ journey. I think school basketball is important because it’s with their friends, their friends that they’ve built at school and we’re lucky enough at John Paul College that we have such great culture with the group of girls we’ve got,” she said.
“We’ve got girls from Year 7 through to Year 11 as part of our squad, we’re accepting of everyone and there’s such great camaraderie within the group.”
Olympian and triple WNBL MVP Kathy Foster is at the helm of the Guilford Young College team from Tasmania which is contesting Under-20 Women Division 1.
London Olympian and triple FIBA World Cup representative Adam Gibson is leading Rowville Secondary College women in their quest for back-to-back Championship Division titles, while his long-time former NBL team mate Anthony Petrie is guiding reigning Championship Men champs The Southport School from Queensland.
Petrie is assisted by Australian basketball legend Robbie Cadee.
Former NBL player and coaching dynamo Dean Kinsman has the reins of the Rowville Secondary College Under-17 Division1 Women’s team and is assisted by Tall Ferns Olympian and triple WNBL champion Micaela Cocks.
Dual Olympic medallist Allison Tranquilli is guiding the Templestowe College Under-17 Division 1 Women and is assistant coach of the Under-20 Division 1 Men’s team coached by former NBL coach Ian Stacker
Olympian and Australian Basketball Hall of Famer Brad Dalton is head coach of St Augustine, NSW, in Under-20 Division 3 Men.
Former WNBL player and 2023-24 WNBL championship assistant coach Kerryn Mitchell is leading the Flinders College Under-15 Division 1 Women’s team and assisting the Under-17 Men’s Division 1 team, while former Sydney Flame Rachel Maenpaa (Pymble Ladies College) and ex-NBL player Brett Hobba (Berwick College, Championship Men) are among others sharing their knowledge and experience.
