Molten Coach of the Season: Vince Macaulay
Vince Macaulay, of the Marshall MK Lions, has been rewarded
for his club's record-breaking season with the Molten Coach
of the Season award.
Under his stewardship, the Lions have won their first ever
piece of silverware, the BBL Cup in January; they have finished
in their highest ever league position, in fourth place and
achieving homecourt advantage in the playoffs for the first
time; and they have also made it to the BBL Finals Weekend
for the first time in their twenty-one year history.
The Lions face the Newcastle Eagles, the league champions
whom they beat in the Cup Final, in Saturday's BBL Championship
Playoff semi-final at the National Indoor Arena. It is the
first time that they have been this deep into the post-season,
progressing through the quarter-finals at the tenth attempt.
The last time that the Lions were at the NIA was on January
13th, when they defeated the Eagles 69-66 to lift the BBL
Cup on their proudest day in history. Coach Macaulay saw off
Fab Flournoy, who has won this award twice in the last four
years, and his Newcastle team in a tense game with shrewd
rotation of his arsenal as Kevin Griffin hit five three-pointers
on his way to 24 points and Tony Windless netted 22.
Putting that obvious highlight aside, the Lions also led
the BBL Championship for two weeks back in December after
enjoying their best ever start to a BBL campaign. Leading
up to the BBL Cup Final, they were 12-5 in the BBL Championship
and 16-6 in all competitions. Macaulay also won Molten Coach
of the Month after going a perfect 5-0 in December.
The accolade was awarded to the 47-year-old, who was born
in Liverpool but could have represented Nigeria in swimming
in the 1976 Olympics but for the African Nations' boycott,
after votes were cast by members of the basketball media.
He took 42% of a tight vote ahead of Fab Flournoy, who has
won the BBL Championship this season and is in the hunt for
what would be a BBL-record fourth consecutive playoff title,
and Paul James of the Guildford Heat, who has battled through
adversity to a second-placed finish and the BBL Trophy crown.
Coach Macaulay will be presented with his award on the court
at the BBL Finals Weekend.
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