Coach’s Hawaii trip

Press, 25 September 1982, Page 64

Coach’s Hawaii trip

Murray Mackay, the coach of the Canterbury Countrywide senior men's basketball team, has accepted a threemonth position as an assistant coach at the University of Hawaii. Mr Mackay is employed by the Canterbury Basketball Association as a directorcoach and in his first season coached the province i to third place in the national league.

“Previously I have had several offers to coach in the States but have always turned them down," he said yesterday. “Under the circumstances, with what CanI terbury has accomplished in the last year, I decided to go. The experience will be good for me and them.” The University of Hawaii side is in the second division. “I could have joined a top division team as an assistant coach but chose to start virtually ■ from the bottom." he said. Mr Mackay likes getting into the ground floor of College basketball in the States. The last two months of his .■period with the University of Hawaii will be spent in the United States. “That's when I’ll learn a lot more about basketball, hopefully transmit it when I return.” Mr Mackay is at the University of Hawaii during November, December, and January. Mr Peter Crowhen, the president of the Canterbury Basketball Association, agreed with Mr Mackay’s three-month break. "Canterbury basketball will only benefit’ by Murray’s experience in top-line American basketball." he said.