Sixers outline criteria for next coach, championship aspirations remain

The Adelaide 36ers have a clear vision of who they want as their next head coach, following the shock departure of Mike Wells from the role.

Wells told the club on Wednesday that he has opted to remain in the United States to be closer to family after two successful years in Adelaide where he helped the club return to the finals for the first time in seven years and then guided the Sixers to within seconds of a first Championship in more than two decades.

Sixers General Manager of Basketball Operations, Matt Weston, says Wells had made a strong and valued contribution to the club and would be missed, but that the club respected his decision.

Weston says there has already been a lot of interest in the now vacant role, but the club had clear criteria in mind for its next coach.

“(We) do want someone that's coached, (or has) been a head coach, not an aspiring head coach,” he explained,

“I want a head coach that has significant experience and been in big games, because we're built to win right now.

“This is a very big decision in the organisation, and not one (we) take lightly.

“I think having someone that's familiar with Australia is going be very important… I think it's going to add value that they understand Australian sporting culture, and where our team is and how the NBL is played and officiated. I think that's going to be critical.”

Already the club has been linked with former Perth Wildcats Championship-winning coach Trevor Gleeson who has expressed a desire to return to the NBL after nearly two years coaching the Chiba Jets in Japan, and Dean Vickerman, who parted ways with Melbourne United this week.

Weston said given the significance of the role, the decision on the club’s next head coach would not be rushed.

“I think through this month, we'll get that sorted,” he said.

“In the next couple of weeks, we will look through the short list - it will be, no doubt, 150 people that will want the job, and we'll get that down to six or seven.

“It'll get to three, and then we'll get right down into what we want out of those three, and who's going to be best suited.

“My phone's lit up like a Christmas tree right now because everyone's going, ‘OK, I've got a coach. Do you want him?’.”

Whoever takes on the job will come in with a mostly settled roster that has just three spots remaining to fill including one import spot.

Weston said that meant that the club’s championship goals remained.

“Because most of the guys are coming back, the aspirations haven't changed,” he said.

“I think Bryce (Cotton) was pretty public saying the only way to get over game five (of the championship series) is to go win one (championship), and then you can get over it.

“That hasn't changed for us.”