Basketball New Zealand

National team mentor Mike McHugh has opted not to re-apply for the Tall Ferns head coaching role (Photosport)

Incumbent Mike McHugh has not sought reappointment as head coach of the New Zealand women’s basketball team.

The Tall Ferns attended their third consecutive Olympic Games in Beijing last year, compiling a 1-4 record through pool play with their only victory coming against African champions Mali.

While they fell short of their target – a place in the quarterfinals – the Ferns were the youngest team in the competition (average age of 23) and are potentially Olympic contenders again in 2012.

McHugh, an assistant coach under Tom Maher at the 2004 Athens Olympics, inherited the lead role when Maher was headhunted by China in 2005.

He guided them to silver medals at the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games and, last April, coached the NZ women to their first ever victory over world champions Australia at the Good Luck Beijing Olympic test event. Over this period, the Tall Ferns rose to a world ranking of 16th.

But the 2008 campaign proved an emotional rollercoaster, which ended with the withdrawal of the Christchurch Sirens from the Australian WNBL and Sparc’s decision to cut funding to the national team programme.

McHugh, who is team leader of the Sparc coaching unit, has decided to step off the ride.

“I’ve been coaching for nearly 40 years and at this level for 16, so it’s time for a break,” he says. “I won’t be lost to basketball … I’m still keen to be involved as a resource where needed.”

McHugh is helping prepare the Junior Tall Blacks for the FIBA World U19 Championships in July.

Expressions of interest for the Tall Fern position closed last Friday with 16 candidates emerging from as far afield as Europe and the United States.

Applicants will be short-listed next week.