By JARROD POTTER
SANDRINGHAM has snagged a basketball coaching coup, gaining the services of Paul Flynn to head the Sabres women in the South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL).
Flynn, from Berwick, will trade the Dandenong colours for Sandringham’s trademark orange as part of a three-year deal.
After a successful season at the helm of the Rangers – as part of a one-year deal with triple-premiership coach Larissa Anderson on maternity leave – Flynn’s Rangers secured a 17-5 record and made it to the semi-finals before their defeat at the hands of Sandringham 65-45.
The new Sabres coach was excited to take on the new challenge and was thankful for the experience Dandenong gave him with the SEABL team and the D-League Rangers he coached to back-to-back victories in 2011 and 2012.
“I’m excited to be at Sandringham,” Flynn said.
“The club has taken some giant leaps forward over the last two-three years and I am looking forward to continuing this trend.”
“I am grateful for the opportunities Dandenong provided me over the last three years.
“To coach two D league Championships, and Under-18 National Club Championship and State Championship has been a fantastic experience.”
“It was great to return to the SEABL competition in 2013 as coach of the Rangers women.
“It will be bizarre sitting down the other end of the court when I come back as the coach of Sandringham in 2014 and squaring off against a number of players I have been involved with over the past few years, but it is definitely a challenge I am looking forward to.”
Dandenong Basketball Association CEO David Graham said it was a shame to lose Flynn to the Sabres, but wished him the best in his new role.
“It was disappointing that we lost Paul to our Sandringham rivals, however it was simply because we didn’t have a role for him,” Graham said.
“His contract was for one-year only as head of our SEABL women’s coaching staff after Larissa Anderson requested a one-year break.
“Paul took on the role knowing he had only one year as a fill in for Larissa.
“Paul is a great person and solid coach with much potential, and all us here at the DBA wish him well with his new club”.
