Championship winning coaches Gerard Hillier and Lucas Allen are departing the Wyndham Basketball Association.
In a statement from president Mike White on Wednesday, it was announced that Hillier and Allen were resigning from their roles at the club.
Hillier has been the player and coach development manager and Allen the coaching lead, along with holding the women’s and men’s championship coaching roles.
Both have offered to see out the season as the championship coaches to minimise disruptions, with both sides sitting atop the ladder.
White said they had contingency plans in place to ensure the smooth continuation of their programs and thanked the pair.
He said the resignations of the pair along with programs administrator Jenna McCormick, while significant, wasn’t entirely unexpected.
”As you may recall, last year, Basketball Victoria informed us that our attempt to reach NBL1 [National Basketball League 1] was unsuccessful, resulting in our exclusion for at least two years,” White said.
“The reasons cited included lack of attendance, staff turnover and stability. Despite multiple conversations and plans, we ultimately did not receive permission to participate in NBL1 this year.
“With the expectation of playing NBL1 and subsequently not having a position available this year some individuals are understandably looking towards their own career aspirations.”
White highlighted there had been a lot of challenges for the association since the annual general meeting in February.
Among that is the club losing all its major sponsors, bar one since last year.
White said the association was committed to transparency and regular communication with all of their stakeholders.
He said their programs are showing positive results and they have initiated a strategic review involving stakeholders from various groups -including externally- to develop an actionable plan.
White said he was heartened by the sheer volume and number of individuals who have reached out, expressing interest in returning to Wyndham in light of these changes.
“The positive responses outweigh the concerns, and we believe this transition will allow us to restructure our staffing and achieve the growth we envision.”
