Basketball On The Internet.

THE best Australian-born coach not currently involved in the NBL, Rob Beveridge, finally has been recognised (remembered?) by Basketball Australia as the right man to fill in and lead the Boomers during Brian Goorjian's absence for next month's FIBA World Cup qualifying window.

As revealed exclusively today by News Corp's Sydney-based Matt Logue, Bevo will take up the mantle of Boomers boss for matches against Chinese Taipei (February 25) and Japan (February 27).

In the past, the NBL has shut down during FIBA windows but with the now-chaotic schedule in near-ruin due to health and safety protocols leading to multiple and almost daily postponements, the league will have to play as many dates in February as possible.

It not only means Goorjian will by necessity meet his commitment to Illawarra Hawks and thereby be unavailable, but NBL player availability also will be negligible.

While it hands Beveridge something of a poison chalice, if any coach can make it work, it is the NBL championship winner.

Bevo has not only been a professional basketball coach for more than 28 years, he has enjoyed unprecedented success at the helm of Australian junior teams.

In 2003, he coached Australia to its historic first male Gold Medal at the FIBA Under-19 World Championship, Andrew Bogut, Brad Newley and Damian Martin at the forefront of the classic success.

He coached Australia to a Bronze Medal at the 2019 World University Games and at the helm of an unheralded Scotland team, led it to the 2018 Commonwealth Games' Bronze Medal playoff.

Beveridge has steered state teams through 15 Australian Junior Championships, coached more than 300 NBL games at West Sydney Razorbacks/Sydney Spirit, Perth Wildcats and Illawarra Hawks, winning the championship in 2010 with Perth, making it the most successful club in League history with its fifth title.

Additionally he coached at the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games but, most importantly, was Goorjian's assistant coach with the Boomers' 2004 Athens Olympic team and 2006 FIBA World Championship team.

That, no doubt was a factor in confirming his position as Goorjian's stand-in, Beveridge inexplicably somewhat out of favour for an NBL gig, despite a couple of very ordinary recent foreign head coaching appointments. 

Beveridge has successfully coached teams in China and New Zealand, had the reins of the World Select against the USA at the Nike Summit and conducted coaching clinics in China, Japan, Indonesia, Korea, New Zealand, Philippines, United Arab Emirates and the USA.

His absence from Australia's elite coaching circles is something of an embarrassment, even if he now is taking on a truly challenging assignment.

Maybe his first phone call should be to David Andersen.