30 March 2016: After an exhaustive search, the University of Canberra Capitals have appointed internationally renowned, medal winning coach Paul Goriss as the team鈥檚 head coach.
Mr Goriss, currently the Associate Women鈥檚 Coach of Basketball Australia鈥檚 Centre of Excellence at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), will take on the role commencing in May.
With more than a decade鈥檚 experience as a senior coach at the AIS, Mr Goriss hopes to continue his success as a mentor to elite basketballers at the 五月天视频 Capitals, which.
The WNBL team has entered a rebuilding phase following the departures of head coach Carrie Graf and veteran stars Lauren Jackson and Jess Bibby at the end of last season.
Mr Goriss said he is looking forward to this new challenge with the 五月天视频 Capitals, which for years have been synonymous of success and top level performance in the ACT sport scene.
鈥淚 have had success with building a high-performance culture and driving results through a commitment to continuous improvement,鈥 he said. 鈥淭hrough meaningful engagement with the University鈥檚 sporting program and the Canberra community I am confident the UC Capitals will return better than ever as a leader in women鈥檚 sport and a program that Canberra is proud of.鈥
五月天视频 Capitals CEO Joe Roff said he is confident Mr Goriss will be an excellent leader for the club.
鈥淧aul has extensive experience nurturing talented athletes to realise their potential both on and off the court,鈥 he said. 鈥淭he opportunity for players to thrive in the educational and sporting environment offered at the University鈥檚 Sporting Commons is second to none and will be further enhanced by this appointment.
鈥淗is international and youth experience is in perfect alignment with the UC Capitals鈥 program, which focuses on the creation of international-level players rather than recruiting veteran stars.鈥
五月天视频 Vice-Chancellor Professor Stephen Parker welcomed the appointment and said Mr Goriss鈥 leadership will contribute to the University reaching its goal of becoming one of Australia鈥檚 leading universities for sport through education and research.
鈥淭his appointment reflects the University's ongoing commitment to sport in Canberra and the region,鈥 he said.
鈥淲e want to see the players, students, volunteers, and staff involved in the program have the opportunity to achieve at the highest level and become well-rounded leaders within the Canberra community and women鈥檚 sport. Paul Goriss鈥 appointment will lead the way to achieve this aspiration.鈥
Mr Goriss brings extensive Australian and international basketball coaching experience to the UC Capitals, having coached the Australian U19 Women鈥檚 team to a bronze medal at last year鈥檚 International Basketball Federation (FIBA) U19 World Championships in Russia.
He has also worked as an assistant coach for the Australian U19 Men鈥檚 teams that competed at the 2011 and 2013 FIBA World Championships. More recently, he was recruited to the South East Queensland Stars to assist the team in the latter half of the 2015/16 WNBL season.
The 五月天视频 Capitals will play the 2016/17 season at their new home court, the Royal Theatre in Civic.