The Just Better Care Roller Hawks are pleased to unveil their 2025 coaching line up with Brett Stibners taking the reins as head coach.
His appointment follows the departure of championship coach Brendan Dowler after eight years in the role.
“Excited. We’ve got a really good team this year. I would’ve liked Brendan to stay on for another year or two but he’s moved on so I’m stepping into that role and I think we’re very lucky we’ve got a lot of senior players so we’ve got a lot of coaches on court so I’m looking forward to it,” said Stibners.
“The style that we play is not very structured. We don’t go from A to B to C, we play what’s in front of us and that’ll continue. With the new guys we’ve got coming in we’ll still be able to play that way.”
Joining Stibners on the sideline as assistant coach is recently retired Roller Hawk, Nick Taylor.
“It’s definitely going to be a combined role. Nick and I don’t always think the same way and do things the same way so it’s going to be a good collaboration and hopefully we get the best out of each other in the tough moments and we give the guys the right direction.”
Stibners is firmly focussed on coaching duties and is happy to take a back seat to Australian squad members Tristan Knowles, Shawn Russell and new recruit Jontee Brown.
However the 45-year-old will remain as a player at training and on the active roster if required.
“Absolutely, telling everyone how good I am and I could still be doing it,” Stibners said with a smirk.
Stibners now has three major coaching gigs within the sport adding duties with the Roller Hawks to his assistant coaching role with the Australian team and head coaching role with the Under 23s team.
Having his finger on the pulse of players across the country will help with the Roller Hawks’ scout, especially with so many young players coming through.
“Because they are young they get a point deduction so they can be really valuable so with a little bit of inside knowledge of those types of players and also with the style of play the Rollers are playing, we’re trying to implement that at national level as well so the insight with that is going to be valuable for the Roller Hawks.”
Also joining the Roller Hawks bench as an assistant coach is Rhys Brown. Rhys is the brother of new recruit Jontee Brown and jumped at the chance to expand his coaching experience when Jontee linked with Wollongong.
Rhys played able-bodied basketball since the age of four, representing Victoria and travelling to the US but injury made him turn his hand to coaching sooner rather than later and he now finds himself part of the Basketball Australia mentor program and coach of the ACT’s Under 16 team headed to nationals in July.
While this will be his first time as a wheelchair basketball coach, he’s been around the sport since Jontee first tried it out following his injury.
“I went with Jontee as support after his accident and I have followed him ever since. Morning workouts, drives, even flights to Germany and every game live streamed to support and give him feedback on what can help him get better,” said Brown.
“Following his journey is emotional as being so close to him I feel a lot of what he does but couldn’t be prouder and eager to continue watching and seeing him become even more dominant.”
With Jontee commuting from Canberra to Wollongong to train with the Roller Hawks once a week, Rhys has also been making trips.
“The trips are usually just listening to podcasts or ringing T (Tristan), Luke or Huss on the drive.”
“A burger on the way back and plenty of time to talk structure and game tactics together.”
“Although I’m fresh to wheelchair coaching my philosophy stays the same, I coach to create better people and naturally that creates better players.”
“I have some unique ways but it’s all about buying in together and getting the attention to detail looked at with the right balance, I’ll bring different approaches and a new set of eyes on an already amazing group.”
Round 1 of the NWBL tips off on June 27th.