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IT WOULD make perfect sense for 36ers management to sit down today with coach Marty Clarke and reach an honorable exit-strategy solution to what clearly is an untenable working condition.

Last night's loss to an under-strength, battle-worn and battered Hawks only reinforced that for all the player and management support the coaching team publicly has been given, the weight of evidence is Clarke and his henchman Mark Radford are in way over their heads and a once-great club is drowning with them.
 
Whatever they are doing is not working and their reluctance to change is reflected in Einstein's definition of insanity: "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

Sixers' management is equally guilty of committing the same blinkered mistake, appearing to hope the season will just hurry up and end as the answer to the club's maladies.

The club's stated position - that the team was "competing" and "only losing narrowly" - is such naive nonsense as to barely warrant scrutiny. The 36ers, widely predicted to finish third and certainly in the playoffs this season, have lost 11 of their past 12 games.

No-one cares if they were by a point or in overtime. Pretty sure fans would be happy to be 6-6 in the past 12 games, even if the six losses were heavy.

Concluding the season with lame ducks at the helm might earn a brownie point for "staying the course" but a smarter strategy now would be to gently show our incumbent nincompoops the door and trial a Brett Maher for the season's waning weeks. Or a Phil Smyth even. Both are in Adelaide and of Adelaide.

With Maher, it would reveal whether he has the right stuff. (I recall the Adelaide Crows did that when Neil Craig realised his team speeches had become elevator muzak and left, so they trialled Mark Bickley for the final rounds. Both parties then knew he wasn't yet right for the role and the club moved on to Brenton Sanderson. But at least they knew.)

No-one knows if Maher is a coach-in-waiting or a star player deluding himself. A smart Sixers would find out. Similarly, after five years out, does Smyth have the fire of his early years or is he past it? Why not audition one or the other now?

The 36ers once again and almost inevitably have settled into the NBL's nether regions and management has made it clear it will not be forced into any late-season coaching change.

But no-where has there been any commitment to continue with the current coaching staff beyond its three-year plan/three-year contracts either.

(Yes, the club has improved on last year's ninth placing but not sure that is grounds for a contract extension, given Gold Coast's demise since 2011-12.)

So while the 36ers continue to believe there is merit in concluding the current iiNet NBL Championship season with a pair of bench bunnies, the question becomes who is the best option for 2013-14 and beyond?

The candidates are many and varied, and other contenders also will apply. But the successor most likely will come from the following 10 options:

Favorite son - Brett Maher

Mahersy would be a popular choice, much as James Hird was at Essendon and Michael Voss at Brisbane in the closest AFL parallels. As the club's most successful player, with even the playing surface at Adelaide Arena named after him, he would have plenty of pluses and impatient fans would give him an extended honeymoon to get it right.

My memory is the "Maher ticket" has Frank Arsego on it as his chief assistant, Frankie also a South Aussie product who cut his teeth in the SBL, AIS, was New Zealand Breakers' second NBL coach, had a stint at Singapore Slingers and has kept his hand in with the SEABL.

Positives: Fresh faces, fresh ideas, instant cred. Whatever Mahersy lacks in experience would be supplemented by Frankie's vast and diverse experience. Plus Brett has always been meticulous and a tough task-master through his career. Why would he be any different as a coach?

Negatives: Third "rookie" coach in a row after less-than-stellar efforts by the preceding two, with many believing it might be time for someone proven to get the club back heading in the right direction - up. It's not as easy as "rolling out the balls", as Chris Anstey would atest.


Back to the Future - Phil Smyth

The club's most successful coach was burned out and had lost his zip when he lost the job to Scott Ninnis but five years out has him ripe to restore Adelaide to its former greatness. You don't forget how to coach. It's all about the horses you have and with this year's team, he would have the 36ers in the playoffs.

The "Smyth ticket" no doubt would include his offsider Steve Breheny, one of the best and most analytical basketball minds in the business.

Positives: The returning mentor has been here before and, like John Kosmina at Adelaide United, would quickly be embraced as a "prodigal son", especially when the results go into the black again. Unlike Kosmina, he won't shoot himself in the foot and has a proven track record.

Negatives: Five years out throws the "yesterday's man" cloud over Smyth, people tend to dwell on the waning years, and Breheny's one-year stint as Lightning coach was easily the worst in the WNBL club's history.


Combo Guards - Phil AND Brett

The idea of linking the duo has merit, whether Maher gets the gig and Smyth mentors him, or whether Smyth is appointed for two years, Mahersy assisting with a view of taking over and on into the future.

It reunites the two most successful 36ers, a three-time championship coach with his three-time championship leader. And it would give a decidedly South Australian look to Adelaide's team.

Positives: If Smyth coaches and Maher assists, it allows Brett the chance to do a proper apprenticeship without the pressure of carrying the responsibility. If Maher coaches and Smyth assists, it gives Brett the safety net of someone who has not only "been there-done that" but did it very well.

Negatives: Could they work together and which arrangement would best suit? The Mick Malthouse handover to Nathan Buckley, to again use an AFL analogy, was, let's face it, little more than a PR exercise and Mick is back now coaching somewhere else. Would two big egos be able to put the club's best interests first?


Up the charts with a Bullet - Joey Wright

Been waiting in the wings since Gold Coast went belly-up and brings a level of maturity to the role. Like anyone who has been successful, has his detractors but with many of his former Blaze charges already in Adelaide, his transition would be relatively smooth.

Can handle egos, treats men like men and his playbook includes a recipe for success. He also is aware that the longer you are out of the big league, the quicker you are forgotten and overlooked. Remember Alan Black?

Positives: A championship winner with Brisbane, brings instant credibility and also has a personality so would be an easy sell off-the-court as well. Highly respected and regarded around the league. Adding Maher to his staff with a long-term view in mind also would work.

Negatives: Bullets and Blaze both went under during his tenure and many link his expensive programs to those demises. Expects top $$ and recruits top players. It's perhaps a reflection of how far Adelaide has sunk that I have to list that under "negatives"! 


Honorable Tiger san - Al Westover

After an interminably long apprenticeship at Melbourne under Lindsay Gaze (remember Lindsay had Australia's first million-dollar contract - 100 years at $10,000 per), Westover won just as many NBL championships (two) in 5-and-a-half years as his mentor did in 22 years.

Unceremoniously bumped by the club's one-time knee-jerk ownership, landed on his feet, coaching in Japan. Would love to get back into the NBL and relish rebuilding Adelaide program to its former glories.

Positives: Another fine coach for men, Al is unafraid of large egos (imports, Boomers) and has shown he can focus a team on the ultimate prize. Has NBL cred and respect, can handle fans and the fourth estate, while former players swear by him.

Negatives: Had his difficulties with a lesser line-up that was top heavy and talent light, the ill-fated three 7-footers experiment flying in the face of accusations he lacked imagination.


Blazing a trail - Brendan Joyce

Pushed Wollongong into two championship series and won the club its only title. Did it despite, no matter how well assisted, always being under-resourced compared to big city clubs.

Blood was thicker than water and issues with coaching son Daniel and passing his use-by date at Hawks led to his swift and sudden exit. Steered fledgling Gold Coast into the playoffs in the club's first year.

Positives: A hard hat and lunch-pail guy with a distinct, clear, non-nonsense approach who knows what he wants. Highly respected around the NBL, reflected by his appointment as President of the Coaches Association.

Negatives: The spectre of son Daniel always enters the conversation though both father and son surely wish that wasn't the case and their careers could continue independently of each other.
 

Falcon crest - Shawn Dennis

The Perth Wildcats assistant was a solid NBL player before turning to coaching, assisting at Newcastle before running the Falcons for three seasons as head coach.

Also has assisted at Wollongong and West Sydney while cutting his teeth in the NZ NBL where he is a championship-winning head coach. Personable and shrewd, he also has coached a number of New Zealand national teams in international competitions.

Positives: Much readier now to be an NBL head coach than 15 years ago and an integral part of the Perth program, Australia's most successful. Has run enough programs of his own to make a success of an NBL gig, especially one as well-established as Adelaide.

Negatives: Would be seen - wrongly - as a gamble, as are most assistants before someone gives them a shot. May lack the profile, currently, to be a big player draw.


Warragul Breaker - Dean Vickerman

As New Zealand's #2 man in back-to-back NBL championships, Deano is ready and willing to take up the challenge of the head coach.

Like Shawn Dennis, has won an NZ NBL championship as a head coach and also done extensive work as an assistant, including stints with Al Westover at Melbourne Tigers and Gordie McLeod at Singapore Slingers.

Positives: Is battle ready and keen to take charge of his own NBL program. Along the way, has built strong relationships around the league, is very well regarded and carries little or no baggage.

Negatives: Lack of profile probably cost him Kings' job but being in a championship coach's shadow would not matter in Adelaide. Look at Sanderson at the Crows. 


Luft field - Tab Baldwin

Tall Blacks coach when New Zealand KO'd the Boomers from the 2002 World Championship, he took them on to the Bronze Medal game at that series and coaxed a World Championship All Star Five performance from Pero Cameron.

Definitely can coach at this level and may like to finally try his hand at the NBL after already coaching clubs in NZ, Turkey, Rumania, Greece and China.

Positives: Took Lebanon to the 2010 World Championship and Jordan within a basket of qualifying for the 2012 London Olympics, so he is familiar with coaching in tough, foreign environments.

Negatives: No insider knowledge of the NBL and therefore would come in cold at a time 36ers need some heat.


Can We Trade - Ian Stacker

Stax is loving running the AIS program so not sure he would crave being thrust back into the relative insecurity of NBL coaching. Perhaps a straight trade for Marty Clarke could be negotiated?

After coaching Geelong, also had a solid run as Townsville head coach and his relationship with Adelaide's own Brad Newley would be useful too in a few years.

Positives: Been there, done that and may now want to be there again. Coaching young elite has its upside but lacks the excitement, glamor and cut-and-thrust of NBL life.

Negatives: Eight years at Crocs yielded four trips to finals, one to the Grand Final and four years of watching playoffs on TV.


Honorable mentions

Sixers would be crazy to overlook Trevor Gleeson, David Ingham or Darryl McDonald in considerations.

I just view the above options as the most likely, even though each will have his detractors. The putdown I shake my head at the most is the one which says: "He only won with good teams." That just cracks me up.

The 36ers also need an interview panel of people who know the sport and have no vested interest beyond selecting the best candidate.

Adelaide explored that with its current appointment but the panel was weighted and not every member genuinely open-minded.

Personally, I would include Maher in any discussion. Going forward, he has to be a part of Adelaide's return to greatness, if such a dream is to be fulfilled.

Whether that is as the next head man or doing an apprenticeship for a few years with a seasoned mentor should be the club's only tough call.

They sure haven't made too many others.