By JARROD POTTER
DANDENONG didn’t have to venture far to find its new WNBL coach after Rangers SEABL coach Larissa Anderson signed on the dotted line ahead of the 2015/16 season.
Already adept at training Dandenong teams to win titles, the three-time SEABL championship winning coach Anderson will return to the WNBL eight seasons after her retirement as a player.
It’s fitting that 20 years on from donning the Rangers jersey for the first time herself, Anderson is back on the sidelines to take the reins of the three-time WNBL champions ahead of their 24th season.
The WNBL life-member – who played at Bulleen and Dandenong throughout a 10-season career – has recently guided Dandenong’s SEABL team to a three-peat from 2010-2012, sides under Anderson’s tutelage have rarely fallen far down the ladder since she began coaching in 2004.
Dandenong Basketball Association CEO David Graham said Anderson’s on-and-off court record spoke for itself and she would be a great asset for the club.
“Larissa’s coaching credentials have been impressive in the SEABL competition to date and we’re all confident that she’ll be successful at WNBL level,” he said.
“Larissa has played in both competitions so she knows what it takes to compete at the highest grade.
“She has great rapport with players and we feel, among many other criteria, that this is important in our push for the club’s next WNBL title.
“We’d like to congratulate Larissa on this fantastic appointment.”
She’ll replace outgoing Rangers coach Mark Wright – who was at the helm of the Rangers for the last five seasons, including five finals berths and a championship in 2011/12.
Anderson’s first challenge at the helm will be her biggest, as Dandenong attempts to re-sign both Penny Taylor and WNBA champion Cappie Pondexter or finding sufficient firepower to cover their losses.
With players like Lauren Scherf, Amanda Meinking, Rachael Antoniadou, Tenaya Phillips all rising through the ranks of Anderson’s SEABL team, there won’t be many surprises for the 250-game WNBL veteran with her roster ahead of her inaugural coaching campaign, starting in October.
