After two and half years in charge, Lloyd Klaman has stepped down as coach of the Werribee Devils in Big V basketball women’s division 1.
Klaman received an attractive interstate job opportunity and last week told the Devils he would need to leave the role immediately.
Brant Lowry, a former Devils women’s coach, will take the reins for the remainder of the season.
“I had an unbelievably good work opportunity to be part owner of a business. It was too good to pass up,” Klaman told Star Weekly.
“I’ll be based in Sydney for the next four to six months.”
The Devils women’s program has thrived under Klaman’s leadership. Before he arrived in 2013, it was a program lacking direction, with a senior team that was a laughing stock of the competition.
Over three years, from 2010-12, the Devils won just six games, including a winless season in the first of that three-year block.
Klaman, a one-time Canberra Cannons coach in the NBL, knew the image of the club had taken a battering before he arrived, and he sought out some veterans to get on the winning list again.
“When we got to the club, there wasn’t a lot there,” Klaman said. “Ideally, we would’ve started on this youth movement the first year I got there, but there wasn’t really any youth to build on.
“Part of the thing I’m happiest about is there really wasn’t an identity for women’s basketball at Werribee, but I think now there is.”
The Devils started winning in Klaman’s first year. They were division 2 minor premiers, losing just two games in the regular season, but suffered a disappointing straight sets finals exit.The lofty finish at least saw the team promoted to division 1, where it made the finals last season.
The Devils can thank their veterans for making the club relevant again, but this season is all about starting the push for long-term success, with new blood ruling the roost now its female youth set-up is in order.
“There’s some really good kids coming through and they can take a bit of pride in playing for the Devils again,” Klaman said.
“I’m really happy we have a youth league women’s team as well; before we didn’t have that. There’s a real career path for these girls now.”
Old habits die hard for Klaman, who travelled to watch the Devils on Saturday night in their 61-45 loss to Western Port Steelers at the Steelerdome in Somerville. He will also be keeping a close watch on progress from afar.
“I wonder if FaceTime will work and someone can point a phone to the game and I can watch it that way,” he said with a chuckle.
