From Eagles fan to assistant coach - with Dave Forrester - Ep. 72

Hoopsfix Podcast - British Basketball with Sam Neter

In Episode 72 of the Hoopsfix Podcast, we sit down with former Newcastle Eagles assistant coach Dave Forrester, who announced he would be stepping down from the sidelines last week.

Forrester, a criminal defence lawyer by day, has an improbable story that saw him start as a super fan of the club before forging a relationship with Fab Flournoy that eventually saw him take a spot on the bench as assistant coach.

He served over a decade on the sidelines with the league's winningest franchise under Fab, winning 14 trophies, and ending as runners up another 8 times.

Having been involved with British basketball across multiple levels, as a fan, administrator, recruiter, operator, referee, coach and member of the Eagles Community Foundation board, Forrester has a unique holistic perspective on the game which we were able to get into.

In this 1 hour 50 minute episode, hear from Dave on:

• Why he decided to step down from his role as assistant coach with the Eagles
• How he went from fan to assistant coach
• Whether there were any issues gaining the respect of players not having had an extensive coaching background
• His relationship with Fab Flournoy over the years
• The biggest things he learned from working with Flournoy
• The opinions that changed going from the stands to having inside knowledge of the workings of the team
• The number one criticism he sees of the BBL that he believes to be incorrect
• What causes some of the negative perceptions of the BBL
• The need for help and guidance to aid NBL club's development
• What impact the arena has made for Newcastle Eagles
• The biggest leverage points he sees for the growth of British basketball
• Why the North East is not producing more elite talent despite a thriving grassroots
• His take on the Newcastle Eagles using a lot of 'plastic Brits' - non-home grown developed players with access to a British passport
• The impact of COVID-19 on the coming season
• How importance a TV deal is for the future growth of the sport
• His favourite memories from his time on the Eagles bench
• The best player he's coached
• The best players he's seen in the BBL
• Predictions for the coming BBL season
• And much, much more!

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