Vanderjagt staying on as Bullets coach

Jasper Bruce | December 23, 2022

Greg Vanderjagt will coach the struggling Brisbane Bullets for the remainder of the NBL season after being abruptly thrust into the role last week.

The club sacked coach James Duncan after their 3-6 start to the season, appointing dual-NBL champion and Bullets general manager of basketball Sam Mackinnon to the role on an interim basis in late November.

But after Mackinnon flagged his desire to focus solely on his GM duties, the Bullets last week announced assistant Vanderjagt as their third head coach of the season.

A Bullets representative told AAP the club had tested the market for an interim coach to potentially replace Vanderjagt mid-season, before deciding the former NBL centre should continue in the role for the rest of the campaign.

“We’ve been impressed with the way Greg has stepped up and taken on the challenge with professionalism and tenacity over what has been an undeniably challenging week,” Bullets CEO Peter McLennan said.

Vanderjagt played in the NBL for a decade, mostly with the now defunct Townsville Crocodiles, before transitioning into coaching.

Before joining the Bullets’ staff as an assistant for the 2020/21 season, he had served as an assistant with the Crocodiles and the Australia under-17 team.

The ninth-placed Bullets (4-12) lost the first three games of Vanderjagt’s tenure but will have the chance to halt a five-game skid when they face the Perth Wildcats next Tuesday.

“I’m excited about the opportunity and for the challenges ahead,” Vanderjagt said.

“I feel very honoured and privileged for the Club to put me in this position for the rest of the NBL23 season.

“I’m going to do everything I can to empower this group. It’s my responsibility to lead this group and help them be successful.”