The Eltham Wildcats have unveiled Craig Stratford as their NBL1 South Men’s Head Coach.
Well known within basketball circles, Stratford has built a highly successful coaching resume with international opportunities amongst his greatest achievements.
Originally hailing from regional South Australia, Stratford moved through the ranks, eventually representing the Mt Gambier Pioneers in the SEABL.
Likewise in coaching, Stratford has earned his opportunities over the years and has become widely recognised as a great developer of players, a strong strategist and a high-quality person.
It is in the north-east of Melbourne where Stratford now resides, where his coaching started from humble beginnings, coaching his children in the Eastern Districts Junior Basketball Association (EDJBA) for the Eltham Wildcats.
Stratford was quickly identified and afforded opportunities to move through the club’s programs.
He blossomed at the Junior Championship level in the VJBL where the highlight has been leading the Eltham U14 Boys to back-to-back U14 National Club Championships in 2017 and 2018.
In 2018, he had the chance to take the national champions (the 2017 team) to the inaugural Jr NBA World Championships in Florida, finishing sixth in the world.
This opportunity led to Stratford being identified by Carlos Barocca, the Associate Vice-President of NBA Asia, who ensured Stratford was to lead the Asia-Pacific team to the 2019 Jr NBA World Championships and be involved in other NBA Asia programs.
Barocca is still a strong mentor and friend to Straford.
Further international opportunities became available as the 2018 national championship team went to an invitation-only event in Japan.
With an interest in extending his coaching knowledge, Stratford was provided the opportunity to be an Assistant Coach for the Eltham Senior Men’s team in the Big V competition in 2017-18, before taking on the highly successful Youth Championship Men’s team from 2019-2021.
Identified by Basketball Victoria’s High-Performance programs, Craig coached in the State Performance program and was then selected for the Victorian state program, most recently as the U18 Boys Victoria Metro Head Coach.
After development and success at local, national and international levels and with experience in the senior program as a player and a coach, the Eltham Wildcats are pleased to provide the opportunity for Craig Stratford to lead the club’s elite level Men’s team in the NBL1.
CEO of the Eltham Wildcats Greg Jeffers is excited about the appointment and the pathway and opportunity it has created for a local in the Eltham community.
"We want to be seen as a club that provides opportunities to people from within our program when there is someone at the level to do so," Jeffers said.
"When the NBL1 Men’s team had a vacancy in the Head Coach position, it was a logical phone call for us to make.
"He is highly respected by players and coaches alike, has a strong knowledge of the game and I’ve been really impressed with the time and dedication Craig has put into the art of coaching, which will all put him in good stead to succeed at NBL1."
Newly appointed Stratford is ready to get started.
"I am very thankful to the club for the opportunities and support they’ve provided me since my family joined," he said.
"NBL1 fits the pathway that the club now provides perfectly and is a great chance for people in our region to compete at a level that wasn’t previously attainable.
"I am looking forward to getting our group together, preparing in a professional manner and making an impact on the 2022 season.
"We’ve got a strong coaching line-up we’re putting together to help the playing group achieve their goals for 2022."
