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GUY Molloy, who took the Melbourne Boomers within one win of the WNBL championship this season, is the new head coach of the New Zealand national women’s team, the Tall Ferns.

One of Australia’s most highly-regarded coaches, Molloy succeeds Kennedy Kereama, for whom he was an assistant in the Tall Ferns program, bringing a wealth of international experience to the role.

“Guy’s experience and record shone through,” New Zealand’s high performance manager Leonard King said. “He’s a coach with proven results that the players know and respect.

“We are thrilled Guy has accepted the national team head coach position and look forward to working with him as we build our women’s program into a world-class operation.”

Molloy, who has Tall Ferns star Kalani Purcell in his Boomers team, is looking forward to the challenge, especially with the Commonwealth Games less than two months away.

“It is a great honour to be named head coach of the Tall Ferns,” he said.

“Last year, I saw first hand how dedicated and hard-working the Tall Ferns players and staff were.

“They competed fiercely every day, whether it was a training session or a FIBA match.

“In my stewardship as coach, I hope to do several things - get to know the basketball community of New Zealand, tap into the culture of New Zealand basketball and drive their ethos of team-first basketball, and then use my experience to increase the skills and standards of the playing list.

“The mission is to develop the New Zealand team into one of the top teams in the FIBA Asia qualification zone.

“I would like to thank the key people involved at both Basketball New Zealand and the Deakin Melbourne Boomers for their collaboration in making this appointment happen.”

A six-time WNBL finalist and dual-Coach of the Year, Molloy in 1993 led Perth to the WNBL Grand Final.

Molloy also has been an assistant coach with Australia’s Opals at two FIBA World Championships for Women, in 1990 working with head coach Robbie Cadee, and in 1994 with Tom Maher, the man who in 2004 led the Tall Ferns to the Athens Olympic Games and their best ever result of 8th.

At the NBL’s Cairns Taipans from 2000-05, Molloy steered the club to its historic first finals appearance in 2004.

He was assistant on four NBL grand final teams from 1997-2000 and with Brian Goorjian’s South Dragons’ NBL champion in 2008-2009.

Internationally as a head coach, Molloy led Australia’s Under 17 men to a silver medal at the 2012 FIBA Junior World Cup and the Australian Under 21 men to the 2004 FIBA World Cup semi-finals.

He also is a three-time Australian Under 18 National Champion with Victorian teams.