Career pathways for British coaches – with Tim Lewis – Ep. 101

For episode 101 of the Hoopsfix Podcast we sit down with British coaching trailblazer Tim Lewis.

Lewis, who most recently was an advanced scout for the Toronto Raptors, left the UK in 2006 to pursue his coaching dream, starting at CBA in Spain, before returning to set up Essex Pirates in the BBL as a pathway for young British talent.

A former junior and senior national team player who went on D1 scholarship to the University of New Hampshire, Lewis has coached at European Championships, Commonwealth Games and at the Olympics.

Since then he did time in Germany’s pro B with Weissenhorn Japan with Hitachi Sun Rockers, times in the NBA G-League between Bakersfield Jam and Raptors 905, before heading to Thailand, where he also took the helm of their Senior National Team.

Time with the Qatar National Team followed, and he is currently surveying for the next opportunity.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
02:55 Interview start
03:17 Opportunity over money
06:43 Whether being single makes pursuing dreams easier
08:54 The barriers British coaches face and the perception of British coaches
11:26 The need for more professional coaching roles in the BBL
15:41 Advice for young coaches who want a career in coaching
19:17 What he would do if he was working for the federation to develop coaching
23:54 How importance the level of coaching is for the development of the game
25:45 Why we haven’t seen another pro club try to replicate Essex Pirates efforts to give young British talent meaningful minutes
31:19 Could the UK produce a compelling enough offer to keep kids here instead of the US college route
33:51 Why the Essex Pirates failed
37:37 How much of a personal blow the failure of the Pirates was
39:55 Skepticism of being able to run a pro franchise with young British talent
41:31 the London 2012 Olympics and lack of British presence on the men’s coaching bench
48:43 Thoughts on the London 2012 Olympic legacy
51:39 What needed to be done differently to ensure a legacy
1:01:40 Thoughts on British player talent development over the years
1:04:48 What he is currently doing
1:06:18 Whether he feels he is close to getting a gig in the NBA
1:08:36 Having to start from the bottom again if an NBA gig was to come to fruition
1:09:27 The job opportunity in Thailand that gave him financial stability
1:12:48 Losing his job in Thailand
1:15:15 Reaching different tiers in coaching and being put in different brackets
1:18:31 Whether coaches have agents
1:19:45 Favourite basketball memory
1:21:21 Best British junior player he’s ever seen
1:22:17 Whether it was obvious certain British guys were going to the NBA
1:23:35 Best individual performance ever witnessed by a British player
1:24:28 Other top British coaches
1:26:46 What’s in the future for Tim

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