New A Grade Coaches In Mens Basketball

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31333, 1 April 1967, Page 11

New A Grade Coaches In Mens Basketball

QEVERAL new coaches o will direct the-playing patterns of the seven teams to contest the Canterbury Men's Basketball Association’s A grade competition,, which begins in Cowles Stadium next Saturday afternoon. Two of the most notable appointments are those of R. Milligan (High School Old Boys) and K. E. Williams (Y-Boys). They have not previously coached top club sides in Christchurch and their influence on ,the grade could be most marked. Milligan, although only 23 and still in his' prime as a player, has put dub before self and withdrawn frqm A grade competition. He will devote himself to coaching and selecting the Old 'Boys A team, formerly controlled by R. S. Thomson. He will, however, still keep hls hand in by playing in the senior reserve grade.

“A player cannot coach satisfactorily, so I stepped down,” Milligan explained. “I would like to play in the A grade but there was nobody else with the qualifications to coach. I am happy to see younger players with more potential in the team. rate > 1 do not think I have toe ability,” he added. Milligan has been chosen as the Canterbury B coach for the third successive year and attended the 1966 national coaching school. Under his guidance, Old Boys could once again be a championship contender.

i Williams has given him- ; self the biggest challenge i of all. He has left Univerr sify and taken on the task . at btdlding up the Y-Boys , side which'finished bottom i of the competition lest season. Already be ; has - made ■ a deep' impact ,on the dub

and Its two ; top,teams- are likely to be much better prepared than they have been for years. He is also an excellent player; bis presence on the court will be a great asset to toe team. His vast experience and undeniable fitness marks him as a natural leader. A number of toe country’s leading players had their grounding under Williams at Nelson College, and this is tangible evidence of his coaching ability. He is a former Nelson and Dunedin representative. J. Dempsey, a former A grade prayer and Canterbury B selector-coach, will again cqach toe YMCA. team. He attended toe recent national coaching school and will, no

doubt, be Introducing new ideas into the side's tactics. He has plenty of player ability to work with and should have little difficulty in mounting it into a winning combination. University’s two teams will agato.be controlled by A. Forrester, who has had considerable success since he became associated with the dub. He has proved himself a fine coach over a large number of years and was Canterbury’s chief coach until an Illness a. few years ago forced him to surrender the position; It is likely that he will. he chosen as the New Zealand Universities’ coach-selector for its Australian visit later this year. Rex did not have a very happy time last season, finishing just ahead of Y-Boys. A former Canterbury representative, P. Fox, has agreed