Basketball New Zealand

New Tall Ferns head coach Shawn Dennis (Photosport)

The Tall Ferns senior women’s programme has ushered in a new era, with Basketball New Zealand appointing Shawn Dennis as head coach.

Dennis, currently the coach of the Bay Hawks in the National Basketball League and a former national women’s assistant, has inked a two-year deal to guide the young Tall Ferns through a crucial development phase.

“Over the last six years, Shawn has proven his credentials as a top-level coach in New Zealand and Australia,” BBNZ national teams general manager Grant Chapman said.

“His experience within our national set-up and with players who now make up the bulk of the current Tall Ferns side, along with his enthusiasm and passion for the game, saw Shawn beat out a quality field of applicants.

“The Tall Ferns average age at the Beijing Olympics last year was 23, so we’re happy to have a coach of Shawn’s acclaim developing our talent.”

Dennis, 43, served two years as Tall Ferns assistant under previous head coach Mike McHugh from 2005-06 and as head coach of the U21 Junior Tall Ferns side in 2006.

“I’m delighted to get this opportunity,” Dennis said. “I’ve been involved in coaching some of these girls before and getting the chance to coach them at a senior level is great.”

Dennis said he was enticed to apply for the vacant position by the prospect of working with a squad high on potential.

“My expectation is to try to continue the development of this young group, that Mike McHugh has started. They had some great results last season and we just need to build on that … I’m looking to push forward with that.

“It’s every coach’s dream to be involved with a national team and to have that sort of talent already there is a bonus. To have the first series against the defending world champions Australia, it means there are great challenges.”

Ahead of the Tall Ferns in 2009 is the two-game FIBA Oceania Women’s Championship series against the defending world champion Australia Opals in early September.

With only one Oceania berth available at next year’s FIBA World Championship for Women in the Czech Republic, Dennis and his team would need to hang a historic series upset on the world number three-ranked Opals to qualify.

Earlier this season, Dennis surpassed 100 games coached in the National Basketball League, one of only two current coaches in the 100 Game Club. With his Hawks in sixth this season at 4-4, his 71-36 (66.3 percent) NBL record has him among the best all-time.

Since joining the Hawks in 2004, Dennis has guided the Hawke’s Bay club to the NBL playoffs in five straight seasons, including the NBL finals in three straight (2005-07) and the franchise’s only NBL championship in 2006.

Dennis played 10 seasons in the Australian NBL from 1986-1995 for Newcastle and Hobart. He was assistant coach with Newcastle from 1993-1997 and head coach the following three years and has also had assistant coaching stints with the Wollongong Hawks, West Sydney Razorbacks and Sydney Spirit.