Lucas farewells Fire
TweetDUAL-Championship-winning WNBL head coach Chris Lucas won't be back with a Townsville program he rebuilt from scratch to pursue a "threepeat" - bad news for the Fire, great news for Adelaide Lightning fans.
Having taken the reins at Townsville five years ago when the club was saved from liquidation, Lucas is a proven winner, his return to Adelaide to spend more time with his family a potential godsend for the once proud Lightning program.
"I made my decision on Monday morning," Lucas said of the gut-wrenching call NOT to chase the threepeat his Adelaide and Opals mentor, Jan Stirling, achieved with the Lightning from 1994-96.
"The challenge of a threepeat was very inviting and while I'm very keen to continue coaching next season, it would have to be at home or closer to home."
Since building a championship team for the Lightning in 2008, Lucas has been to the finals for the past eight years, three times as assistant to Carrie Graf in Canberra and from the get-go as coach of the Fire, a role he held for five years.
In his eight years since leaving Adelaide, he has been to the Grand Final seven times and been part of four Championships, the past two as head coach of the Fire.
"I'm really, really comfortable with my decision," Lucas said.
"It is now time to take stock and give back to my family - who have supported me unreservedly over the past eight years - and look forward to pursuing new coaching opportunities and challenges closer to home."
Lucas (pictured) said it has been an extremely difficult decision to leave the Fire and his adopted home city of Townsville, but after living away from wife Janette and family for seven months each year for the past five years, it was time to return to home base in Adelaide.
“I have absolutely loved my time in Townsville with the club, the level of media and community support for myself and the team far exceeds any I have personally experienced, and is now one of the strongest of all WNBL clubs. For that I am greatly appreciative,” Lucas said.
“I have always admired the passion and determination of Townsville Fire WNBL teams, and when I applied for the position of head coach of the newly reformed Townsville Fire WNBL franchise in March, 2011, my vision was for us to win a championship within three years.
“It took us four years but to make the playoffs in the first season, the grand final in the ensuing four years and two championship titles in the past two years is exceptional, and I am extremely proud of what has been achieved by the Fire during my time with the club."
Lucas' lead assistant, Claudia Brassard, is the leading contender to take over the Fire hot-seat, but the position now is one of the most coveted in elite Australian basketball.
Lucas thanked the Fire board and particularly outgoing Chairperson Jayne Arlett, all the players on his five-year Fire roster, team managers, support personnel and the Townsville community, for the way they embraced and supported him during his time in the city.
“I also want to acknowledge the outstanding contributions from players Rachael McCully and Jess Foley for their leadership qualities in setting up the necessary culture during my first two years as coach," he said.
“I also thank Peta Sinclair in assisting me also through the first two years, and Claudia Brassard and Mark Wrobel for their continued support and assistance over the last three years."
Lucas faced an enormous challenge when he stepped into the role in Townsville, taking the helm of a team that had no signed players in a club which had just been relaunched after folding.
He was adamant to achieve success the revitalised club needed to create a great culture - one to inspire community support and attract players who had talents he could develop.
More importantly, he sought positive characters who were exceptional team players. Those are characteristics which have been absent from Adelaide Lightning teams in recent years.
"The emergence of Perth also made leaving Townsville difficult," Lucas said of the rejuvenated professional Lynx, who Townsville swept 2-0 in this season's inaugural best-of-3 Grand Final Series.