Caporn, Fearne tip on 36ers short list
TweetADAM Caporn and Aaron Fearne are believed to be on the Adelaide 36ers' short list to replace decorated NBL coach Joey Wright next season.
Caporn, 38, originally from WA, played NBL with the Hawks and Wildcats after a US college career as a point guard at St Mary's, and currently is head coach at the Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence and a Boomers' assistant.
He also has assisted at St Mary's, coached in the WA State League and head coached the Emus, Australia's Under-19 men's team.
Caporn would not be dissimilar to a previous 36ers coach, Marty Clarke, having a very similar resume.
At his Basketball Australia profile, his answer to why he chose coaching is:
"To help young people learn, grow and build the tools they need to achieve their basketball dreams.
"Really enjoy the process of building a team and coming together to chase a difficult common goal.
"The continual process of challenging myself and team members to continue learning and getting better."
Caporn reputedly has a good relationship with the 36ers' Aussie "Next Stars" signing, Josh Giddey.
His coaching resume is:
2008 – 2009: Willetton Tigers SBL (WA) – Assistant Coach
2009 – 2010: East Perth Eagles SBL (WA) – Head Coach
2010 – 2011: Scholarship Coach/Interim AIS – Assistant Coach
2011: Australia WUG – Assistant Coach
2011 – 2014: Assistant Coach St Mary’s College (USA)
2015 – 2016: Australia U19 Emus – Head Coach
2014 – Present: Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence Men – Head Coach
2017 – Present: Australia Boomers – Assistant Coach
Fearne steered Cairns Taipans into two NBL Grand Final Series (2011, 2015) before taking an assistant coach role in the US at University of Charlotte 49ers.
He also is head coach of New Zealand's Under-17 national men’s team and an NBL Coach of the Year in 2015.
In nine years at the helm of the Taipans, Fearne guided the club into three playoff series, claimed the regular season championship in 2015, had a 124-128 regular season record (49%) and was 5-7 in playoff games (42%).
Prior to becoming head coach, Fearne spent seven seasons (2001-08) as an assistant coach for the Taipans, also serving as head coach of the Cairns Taipans Academy, a junior development academy which he created.
Boomers' Olympian and Phoenix Suns centre Aron Baynes and former NBA player Nathan Jawai came out of the Academy.
For four seasons, he was head coach of the Cairns Marlins (2006-09) in the QBL, in 2006 and 2007 winning the league's Coach of the Year accolade. He also spent two years with the Taipans as an NBL player.
Three-time 36ers' championship coach Phil Smyth is believed to have been sounded out for the role or to assist in a mentoring or advisory capacity but declined the opportunity, according to multiple sources.