South African netball fans are eagerly awaiting the announcement of the newly appointed Protea coach. Over the past few days social media has been flooded with fans voicing themselves on who they think should lead the team. It was interesting to follow the countless comments on social media and the newspaper articles that kept the country updated on the selection process and the candidates that applied for the job. The big question remains as to who will fill the shoes of the legendary coach Norma Plummer?
For the past eight years former Australian coach, Norma Plummer has been part of the national setup. Plummer was appointed for the first time as Protea coach in 2015 and led the team during the 2015 and 2019 netball World Cup. In 2022 after the Commonwealth Games we witnessed the return of coach Norma Plummer as she was appointed to lead the team during the 2023 netball World Cup.
The Proteas currently ranked 5th in the world will have their eyes set on breaking into the top 4 at the next netball World Cup. Not forgetting about Uganda who has shown their dominance in the recent Nations Cup in January against Australia, New Zealand and England.
What is needed for South Africa going forward?
A few people have voiced their opinion on who they think will be able to do the job. Unsure about what the future holds for South Africa I decided to have a look at the top countries in the world and maybe by looking at their coaching staff we might get a better sense of what is required for South Africa going forward.
The Australian Diamonds are shining brightly at the top of the world ranking. Stacey Marinkovich appointed in 2020 will continue her reign as head coach till the end of 2027. Marinkovich has led the Diamonds to gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and a year later claimed the world title at the World Cup. Since 2021 we've seen Nicole Richardson working alongside Marinkovich. Richardson assistant coach and former Diamonds player brings a strong defensive skillset and a well-rounded approach to building high performance systems and structure.
The New Zealand Silver Ferns coach Dame Noeline Taurau was appointed in 2018 and shortly after that led the Ferns to a World Cup title in 2019, their first in 16 years. Dame Noeline, former Silver Ferns player also acted as assistant coach in 2011. Earlier this year we witnessed the introduction of Australian legend Briony Akle to the New Zealand coaching bench during the Netball Nations series. Dame Noeline's coaching term came to and end at the end of February this year.
Netball New Zealand, in consultation with Dame Noeline Taurua, has decided to launch a recruitment process for the position of head coach for the Silver Ferns. Taurua, has said she will reapply for the role and felt the process was the right decision to make. Moving onto the northern hemisphere we've seen Jess Thirlby, coach of the Engeland Roses contract extended up until the next Wold Cup in 2027. Thirlby was appointed in July 2019 and led the Roses to a historic world cup final appearance in 2023. Sonia Mkoloma, former Roses defender has been her assistant coach since 2021. In 2023 we saw Liana Leota, former Silver Ferns player joining the coaching team and acting as a technical coach for England. In 2022 we've seen former Jamaican player Connie Francis leading the Sunshine Girls to their first ever Commonwealth Games final. A year later she made history in winning a bronze medal at the World Cup for the first time in 16 years. Connie Francis was joined by Australian coach, Rob Wright during the NWC as a specialist defensive coach. Francis stepped down as head coach in September 2023. Looking at the top countries in the world everyone has their own way of doing things but still there remains a few similarities and things that stand out. Here are just a few to mention:
Head coaches get appointed for a term of at least 4 years, which usually includes a netball World Cup.
Australia is the only country where the head coach is not a former international player.
Over the years we've witnessed an increase of international influences from different countries on team benches.
The coaches of the top 3 countries in the world are all surrounded by a fully functional structured coaching team that really makes their job easier having specialists in different fields.
In each of the top countries coaches have had support behind the scenes from former international players and coaches assisting teams as they prepare for the world stage.
The head coaches have all been involved in their respective national setups before taking on the role as head coach.
Considering all of this I believe that it takes a village to achieve success.
What will the future hold for the newly appointed South African coach and even more exciting is what will the coaching team look like for the Proteas going forward.
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