A grand total of 99 CVs were submitted once the role of head coach at Glasgow Rocks fell vacant six weeks ago, the gamut of applicants running from the sublime to the ridiculous. Armed with a detailed Powerpoint presentation and a resumé festooned with experience garnered from postings as diverse as Liverpool and Saigon, Tony Garbelotto was always a short-priced favourite to emerge victorious from the recruitment process.
And his status as the leading candidate was duly confirmed yesterday as the Englishman was officially placed in charge of the British Basketball League outfit, agreeing an initial two-year deal.
The 48-year-old’s past body of work, that includes leading now-defunct Mersey Tigers to the domestic treble and a role as the lead scout to the 2012 Great Britain Olympic team, made him the obvious choice to replace Sterling Davis but he had to make his case in the face of alternatives that included at least one assistant from the NBA.
Three candidates were ultimately brought to the Emirates Arena for an unusual but enlightening final audition, given 45 minutes to put a small group of players through their paces before Garbelotto was left standing. “I could have saved myself a lot of time and money by going to get Tony in the first place,” said Rocks owner Duncan Smillie. “I’m glad I went through the process because he was the right guy rather than the easy guy.”
No Rocks coach, other Jim Brandon, the very first, has arrived with a fuller reputation. Engorged expectations, inevitably, arise. A burden but also a boon when inheriting the reins of a club that has not acquired silverware since 2003. The budget and the infrastructure, the new arrival insists, are sufficient to justify the target of at least one trophy and a top four finish next term.
“I am confident,” Garbelotto affirmed. “If I’d come here, and they’d told me we’d have to practice in four different gyms, and there was nowhere to do weights, I’d have gone back out. But when I walked in, and they showed me around, I went ‘woah.’ We’ve had guys in working out today, getting quality shots on quality floors. It’s small things but that’s what the top teams like Newcastle and Leicester have. That’s why they win.”
The additional challenge awaiting is the potential loss of key figures, including GB internationalists Kieron Achara and Gareth Murray, for up to a month next April if Scotland lands a place at the Commonwealth Games. Only when that decision comes on July 6 can his recruitment strategy properly unfold.
“It might mean we have to sign a couple of players before the transfer window closes,” he acknowledged. “But if the men’s team doesn’t get an invite to the Gold Coast, then we’ll recruit in a different way. But I feel I know how to succeed in this league and it’s going to be a process. There will be hard work. Some luck will be involved. But hopefully we’ll end up with a good team.”
- Dee Hayward scored 33 points as Scotland’s women beat Taiwanese side Nan Shan 72-71 in Kuala Lumpur. Bart Sengers side now face Malaysia today.
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