Basketball New Zealand has confirmed today that Ngāpuhi descendent Paul Henare has been named Head Coach of the Tall Blacks team ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympic, with Pero Cameron by his side as assistant. Meanwhile Kennedy Kereama is reappointed to the role of Head Coach of the Tall Ferns with Aik Ho also reappointed as assistant.
Basketball New Zealand CEO Iain Potter says “The interviewing panel was unanimous in our choices and have been hugely impressed by the calibre of the applicants from here in New Zealand and overseas. In both Paul and Kennedy we have coaches with an outstanding passion for the game and our country that will see them lead their respective programmes with a great desire and commitment, matching their considerable coaching expertise.”
Both Henare and Kereama were given the opportunity to select their own coaching and management teams, albeit Potter emphasized that the selection panel was at one with the choices made and the mix of personalities and expertise that both coaching groups possess.