The Joondalup Wolves have announced the appointment of David Morrell to the position of Player & Coach Development Manager and NBL1 Men’s Head Coach.
Morrell comes to “the Pack” after three successful seasons in what is now the NBL1 Central division with the Woodville Warriors and Southern Tigers.
Morrell is a renowned player developer, tireless worker and elite-level coach.
Morrell has most recently been the Director of Basketball at Southern Tigers which saw him work with all levels of basketball from domestic through to representative and elite programs.
He was responsible for delivering the club's basketball direction, philosophies and curriculum.
He led their camps, player pathways, skill development sessions and all junior programming.
Prior to his time at Southern Tigers, Morrell was the Associate Head Coach for the Woodville Warriors in the South Australian Premier League.
In his home state of Nevada in the USA, Morrell coached high school basketball for fve seasons and worked for a private basketball company as a skills trainer where he worked with many Division 1 & 2 college athletes.
A qualified high school teacher, Morrell brings a wealth of experience and a methodology well suited to player development.
Wanneroo Basketball Association CEO Andrew Summerville had this to say about David becoming the new Player & Coach Development Manager: "When David interviewed for the PCDM role we knew he was exactly what we needed in this position.
"He is a passionate basketball junkie with a growth mindset and commitment to player and coach skill development.
"We have attempted to fill this position for the last 12 months, but COVID and border closures have made it extremely difficult to land a suitable candidate.
"Finally, we believe David is the right person to lead our WABL program and all player development programs at the WBA.
"He will be a great asset to our coach education ranks as well.”
Morrell will also take the reigns of the Wolves' NBL1 Men’s team.
After leading the Southern Tigers to a top four finish in the NBL1 Central division, Morrell is the perfect candidate to manage the next phase of the Wolves' Men’s program.
It was always inevitable that our men’s team will go through a stage where we will need to develop new players, bring through some of the younger players and focus on the next three to five years of development and we look forward to seeing what David can do in that space.
"Having coached the team myself for the last two seasons as well as leading the club as CEO, I felt it was time to focus solely on my CEO duties and I am happy to hand over the team to David," Summerville said.
"It was never the long-term strategy for me to coach the team and after a disappointing 2021, the best thing for me to do for the club was to find someone who could give the program what it needs.
"David is the perfect guy to lead the next phase, and he will have my full support."
When asked about his move to the Wolves, Morrell said: "I am thrilled by the opportunity to join the Wolf Pack.
"Joondalup is a club that has a great reputation and is known by basketball people across Australia.
"They have had incredible success over the past 10 years and beyond.
"I feel truly blessed by the opportunity to become the next men's coach and PCDM of a club like this, and very excited about the challenge ahead to build up a culture of excellence.
"I am really looking forward to the journey ahead, getting my feet on the ground in WA soon so that I can start working with coaches, juniors, and NBL1 men.
"I am very passionate about basketball, and I can't wait to start helping Joondalup juniors fall in love with this amazing game, and to see what I can contribute to this great organisation."
Morrell will commence his duties in the coming week.
