DEPARTING Bendigo Spirit coach Simon Pritchard says he will always have a soft spot for Bendigo Spirit, despite his four-season reign as coach coming to an end.
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Pritchard was advised recently his contract would not be renewed by Bendigo Stadium Limited.
The decision was officially announced on Monday at noon at a press conference fronted by the coach and Bendigo Stadium Limited (BSL) general manager of sport Ben Harvey.
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As the BSL wished the former Australian juniors coach well in his future endeavours and lauded his ‘hard work and sheer commitment’, Pritchard was quick to reciprocate the sentiments.
“I want (the Spirit) to be successful – I desperately want it to be successful,” he said.
“I have got too much sweat and too much effort gone in here for this not to be successful.
“I feel like we have done the hard yards – we’ve broken the back of what we have needed to do and now there is an opportunity for some other coach to come in here with plenty of enthusiasm and hard work.
“On the back end, we have to make sure the structure that’s put behind it – fan engagement, branding and revenue – get that right, then the Spirit will be up in the finals within one or two years.”
Pritchard, who will continue to coach the Spirit in their final two games this season against WNBL championship contenders Adelaide Lightning and Canberra Capitals, revealed he had been advised of his fate well ahead of Monday’s announcement and had quickly come to terms with the decision.
“It was always going to be a tough road, four seasons and not making finals, in a professional sport,” he said.
“Just on that alone you have to evaluate and ask is it time for someone else, or time for a new voice.
“From my perspective I am a realist – what I’m working with is what I’m working with.
“(I ask myself) how hard did I work? Did I work hard enough? Did I cover all the bases as I went along? I feel like I did. I couldn’t have left any more out there than I did.”
His record with the Spirit currently sits at 36-52, including 7-12 this season.
That 2018-19 mark could easily have been better if not for a handful of close and ultimately frustrating losses, including an overtime defeat against Melbourne and two-point loss on Sunday to Perth.
(I ask myself) how hard did I work? Did I work hard enough? Did I cover all the bases as I went along? I feel like I did. I couldn’t have left any more out there than I did.”
- Simon Pritchard
Pritchard said one thing he could take away forever from his time in Bendigo was the relationships he forged with ‘stalwarts’ of Victorian country and Bendigo basketball such as David Flint and Andrea Walsh, who served as assistant coaches under Pritchard, and former Spirit general manager Adam Tarr.
Pritchard also praised the contribution of former Spirit stars and two-time championship players Kelsey Griffin and Gabe Richards during his tenure.
He said no one was one happier than him to see Griffin enjoying individual and team success in Canberra and added he would be shocked if the Opals star did not win the league MVP award this season.
In terms of achievements, Pritchard was most proud of his efforts to keep a once struggling club afloat through his initial years as coach and would leave confident of its future now under the banner of the BSL.
“When I came I didn’t realise the depth of the (financial) hole we were in – I wasn’t sure if the club was going to survive,” he said.
“Through Michael McKern and Sue Dearaugo and the board at the time, they did a power of work to make it happen.
“I opened a bill from the Tax Department that was significantly more than I was going to ever make in my whole time I was going to be here and that was tough, but we fought our way out of it.
“The fact that the Bendigo Spirit is here and is going from strength –to-strength, and that the new coach coming in has a great opportunity to take this team to the next level is what I’m proudest of.”
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