The Ballarat Miners have announced the appointment of Luke Sunderland as the Miners Men’s Head Coach and the Basketball Ballarat Director of Coaching for the next three years.
Sunderland will be moving to Ballarat from Western Australia where he has been the Talent and Coaching Manager at Willetton Basketball and is due to arrive in early March.
Basketball Ballarat Senior Elite Committee Chair Cameron Moore said: "We had a number of high calibre candidates apply for the advertised role of Head Coach and Director of coaching which was pleasing.
"Luke demonstrated particular strengths in player and coach development which are key elements for the future of our program as we continue to build and grow our local athlete and coaching pool."
Basketball Ballarat CEO Neville Ivey said: "Luke is very well positioned to deliver on our priorities of athlete and coach development from grassroots right through to our elite program but also to lead the Miners Men’s program and build a strong culture that we can all be proud of.
"I’d like to thank Senior Elite Committee members Matt Nunn and Matt Sheehan for their work behind the scenes to attract and interview such high a quality field of candidates."
Sunderland, originally from Victoria, was the Owner/Head Coach with Elite Edge Basketball in Melbourne and has previously been the Head Men’s Coach and Director of Coaching for Western Port Basketball Association.
Sunderland said: "I am excited and humbled to accept the position of Director of Coaching and NBL1 Men’s Coach with the Ballarat Miners.
"Ballarat is one of the premier associations in the country across all levels with a storied history and I am thankful to Neville and the board for the opportunity.
"The juniors have been led by some highly credentialed coaches over the past years and I look to continue establishing a strong link between the juniors, youth and senior programs while helping our strong group of volunteers develop their coaching."
In addition to all Sunderland’s coaching experiences, he also holds a Bachelor of Exercise Science majoring in Sport Management minoring in Coaching.
"My family and I are looking forward to returning to Victoria in the coming weeks," he said.
"I am working with the club currently from interstate and putting the finishing touches on the men’s roster, which is shaping up to be a well-rounded side and will be a fun group to lead and for the community to support."
