The Wanneroo Basketball Association and Joondalup Wolves wish to advise that Player & Coach Development Manager and NBL1 Men’s Head Coach David Morrell will depart at the end of the season.
David and his wife Teige are moving to Canberra as Teige has signed to play WNBL with the Canberra Capitals in the upcoming season. David and Teige joined the Wolfpack in 2022, where David assumed the full-time Player & Coach Development Manager role with the WBA and also took on the Head Coach position with our NBL1 men. Teige played two years with the Wolves in 2022 and 2023.
Under David’s leadership the WBA has gone from strength to strength in relation to player and coach development. The WBA has improved both its program offerings and also the WABL program thanks to David and the work he has done has been phenomenal. The countless hours David put in during his tenure went above and beyond. The strength and size of our program is a testament to David’s drive and genuine care for the Wolves players and coaches.
The men’s NBL1 program has been a powerhouse under David and although we haven’t achieved the ultimate goal of a championship, we have always been a top two or three team. David lead the Wolves to preliminary final in 2022, a heartbreaking Grand Final in 2023 and a preliminary final in 2024. Hopefully 2025 David can go out with a bang. The strength of our men’s team is part of the reason why we had to move to the bigger side of the stadium, and have lead the country in crowd attendance and livestream views.
“While it is always disappointing to lose anyone from the Wolfpack, we are incredibly happy for David and Teige and support David’s decision to move to Canberra as they embark on the next chapter of their lives. We have been lucky to have David with us for four years and are thankful for the work he has put in shaping our WABL and NBL1 programs in to what they are today. Basketball and high level sport in general are quite transient in nature, so it in no surprise David is moving on to his next challenge. People come and go but that is part of sport. Although David leaves big shoes to fill, the work that he and the WABL coaches have put in to the association over the last few years, puts us in a good position to continue to head in the right direction. Whoever replaces David will have a fantastic platform to continue to build from.
I would personally like to thank David for his commitment and loyalty to both the WBA and our NBL1 programs over the last four years. I look forward to see his coaching career progress and wish him well for the future” said WBA CEO Andrew Summerville.
David Morrell had this to say about his time at the Wolves: “I’m so grateful for the opportunity I was given 4 years ago to be a small part of this organisation’s history. It’s been an incredible experience meeting and working with so many amazing people in the Wolfpack community during my time here.
I am extremely proud of the effort and the results the Wolves WABL program has had during my time as Player and Coach Development Manager. We’ve gotten better each year, this year we have had a higher WABL winning percentage than ever, doubled the number of SCC and State representative players, and have higher ladder positions for our Champs teams than ever. The future is bright with the talented juniors in the club, and it’s been a real pleasure working with all the players and coaches within the program.
On the NBL1 Men’s side, everyone should be proud of the work we’ve done together, having consistently been in genuine contention every year, reaching at least the Preliminary Final every season I’ve been here. It’s a testament to the commitment and talent level of the playing group, the organisation’s leadership, and the coaches we have had in those different teams. I’m deeply grateful for my time with all of these Wolves coaches and players that have made life in Joondalup special.
With my time at Wolves coming to a close soon, it creates even more desperation to finish this season the right way and win the championship that this club, its players, and our amazing fans truly deserve.
Wolfpack family, I just want to say with all my heart, thank you so much for an amazing 4 years”.
The WBA and everyone from the Wolfpack would like to thank David and wish him and Teige all the best. David will finish with the Wolves in late August and will assist the association in its planning for the next WABL season during this time.
The WBA will commence its search for David’s replacement immediately.