Despite missing the 2020 Sal's NBL Showdown, season 2021 presents an exciting prospect for the Taylor Hawks. The unprecedented environment that COVID 19 led to the Hawks supporting the Showdown, but shifting their focus to 2021 that meant the start of “Project 2021”
As the first order of business, the Taylor Hawks are delighted to announce the appointment of Adam Forde as the Head Coach for 2021.
Forde brings a wealth of knowledge and talent to the franchise and is the ideal candidate to build and lead the Taylor Hawks team into the future.
He is currently heading into his ninth year in the Australian NBL, currently as the Lead Assistant Coach for the Sydney Kings. He was previously with the Perth Wildcats, winning four championships in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018, as well as making the Grand Final in 2019.
Forde was also the Lead Assistant Coach under Rob Beveridge with the Australian Emerging Boomers winning Bronze in Naples Italy in the World Universiade Games in 2019. And the list of credentials goes on. He previously held positions as the Development Manager and High Performance Manager for Basketball Western Australia, responsible for delivering the national curriculum to identified high performance talent. During this time he also head coached East Perth to their maiden championship in the state league.
Originally from Perth, Western Australia, Forde briefly attended college at Jamestown in New York State for two years back in 2003. He is supported by his family, partner Kylie Moran and their son Carter. Adam commented that he is "looking forward to this opportunity working with everyone at the Hawks. For some years now I’ve had a keen interest in the league, studying from afar. Now is the perfect timing to get involved and I thank Amy and Keith Price during the whole recruitment process.”
The Taylor Hawks Franchise has continued to grow in recent years, making the top four in 2018 and coming second in 2019. The Franchise sees Adam as the perfect coach to continue to build on this success. The Taylor Hawks are an important part of Hawke’s Bay’s sporting identity, and the continued growth, sustainability and success of the team is only possible with the support of our fans, sponsors and stakeholders.
“Our community, supporters and players can all have confidence in the leadership and skill that Adam brings to the team. We are looking forward to a great 2021 season,” Keith Price said.
Adam has already begun working on the 2021 season, taking the opportunity to reach out to players and discuss their goals.
“There is a great appeal to be part of Hawke’s Bay due to their rich history and community involvement. This is going to be a lot of fun with a lot of high expectations. A great basketball environment,” said Forde.
