No way not Wright, far too unstable emotionally IMO! Tom Maher much better option.

Maher a good option but he has held this postion before time for a fresh approach

To beat USA I believe we need a team that can play in your face basketball for 40 min

Hence why I suggest Mark Wright over Maher

Have you heard Mark Wright in timeouts???

another thought could be Ray Tomlinson

Wright might loud at time out and over the top but he get results and has a style of play that could beat USA

And maybe Wright maybe be able to get Cambage to her full potential

Are you serious right now?!

Not a chance Wright is the man to beat the U.S

Getting results is fine, but he's done it with star studded groups and an open bankbook.

Even then he's managed to splutter with very talented lineups in seasons past

Graf and Maher have both had their chances with star studded line ups and could not beat USA at Olympics

Come up with a better option someone who has a game plan to beat USA

Gerard, you cannot be serious. Are you Mark Wright?

Maher would do a superb job.

pug90

Maher has had his chance throw me a name besides Graf Sterling & Maher

I loved Maher as a coach but we need a new game style to beat USA

Maher will do a great job with China but we need a change in the style of play and someone who can impose it

Best two woman's coaches in oz have to be Stirling and Maher. Graf is overrated.

Agree Maher and Sterling good coaches but we need a new game plan and coach to beat USA

Agree with @Gerard, names being tossed around are the old guard in coaching.

If we have the next generation of players coming through, should we not be looking for the next generation of coaches who are up with the times.

I am not pushing any particular name, but would expect there would be some strong contenders around current WNBL coaches, besides those names already mentioned.

The only reason I throw Mark Wrights name into to ring is because of game plan ....up in your face basketball pressure on the ball a full 80min

No half court or zone defence full court pressure

I my humble opion I believe this style of game is the one to beat USA at the next olympics

Womens basketball in this country is so close to be something special but to do that we need to be different

kristy harrower as coach. she has done a good job with bendigo

I know she thinks she is coach but I thought Bernie was the head coach at Bendigo

i agree the graf shouldnt go again this year
but if tom cant do it because he already gave it ago and mark cant do because he is too unstable who else is there

Gerard - Is way too invested in this topic! Agree with above post 'Go For It' - Wright is almost impossible to understand in timeouts! Far too maniac in his approach, trying to deliver 300 hundred messages at once! Anyone could look good coaching the current group that Wright has got at his disposal in Dandenong.

ok let's review the WNBL field

Lighting - Buckle - maybe
Spirit - Harrower x 2 ... maybe Kristi in 5 years
Boomers - Maher - old guard
Caps - Graf - old guard
Rangers - Wright - not sure
Thunder - Chainey - who ?
Flames - Dalton - old guard
Fire - Lucas - maybe
Waves - Kereama - Kiwi, doesn't count

Hmmmm, that's thinner than I thought - if not Wright, Lucas and Buckle have been around a while ... not sure of their political correctness, but both know their stuff.

Graf needs to go. Should have gone after the 2010 World Champs botch-up.
Personally I wouldn't go with any current WNBL head coach. I'm not particularly inspired by any of them.
The Opals need an overhaul and a fresh start both with the squad and the coach IMO.
I don't know the answer for coach, but we need to look outside the (go with a current WNBL head coach) box.

Why a WNBL coach?

Get the best coach available without a gig....Guy Molloy.

Mark Wright would be a disaster. He is mediocre, and that is being generous.

Best coach we have had is Stirling.
She is still the only coach to deliver gold in a Worlds or Olympics.

Played the pressure defence and aggressive all over the court.
Tough, high expectations but does not play favourites.
The trouble with that is a certain superstar expected to be a favourite and pouted like a 10 year old when she was subbed out or corrected.

Put her back in and let the players know they conform or they're out.

So everyone agrees Graf has to go

Maher is old school plus maybe coaching China

We have knockers of right saying he only get results with star studded teams, question is not our Australian team a star studded group just throwing that out there

Sterling I agree but lets give her assistants who know international basketball and are not establishment

Easy to knock come up with a better alternative

Who do want as the next coach surely you dont want Graf

It would appear no one can come up with anyone better than Mark Wright

You have all knock Wright but your only alternatives are old school or been tried

put up and arguement for Chris Lucas

I put Mark Wright in a lower category than Carrie Graf.
Graf's success in the WNBL has come as a direct result of the budget she has worked with. When given a better team than anyone else she has generally won. When it comes to getting the best possible performance from just an ok team she has fallen short though, such as the last 2 Opals campaigns as well as her stint in the WNBA.
Wright on the other hand, can't even be relied on to win with a massive budget.
I'd rather have Graf than Wright, and I'd rather have Stirling or Maher than either of them. I'd also rather have someone new, who is unburdened by the Opals' political history, than Stirling or Maher.

Marty Clarke will be announced at the end of the NBL season.

Graf must go, she can't coach well at all, the only time she had success was with a star studded wnbl team. She had the 2nd best team by far at the last worlds and at the olympice and finished 5th and 3rd. My pick would be Tom but I wouldn't care who it is as long as Graf is gone, she is the biggest hinderance on the Opals at the moment.

Don't care who it is as long as they have the "Clark Griswald" white shoes I'll be happy

Wow Marty Clarke it is then ?!

You have to be kidding Chris Lucas, players coach "Most of the players like playing for him" who Jess Foley.

Maher is leaving Bulleen for an international gig.

Jason Chainey is not ready for such a position but I would like him to to go as an assistant, he has a very lean Logan team playing very well and he has actual plays he draws up and they often work, he coaches a very good team game.

I have always liked Cheryl Chambers as a coach, I think she would do well.

Or Gary Fox.

Like Stirling, but wish you guys would show the sort of respect for experience and runs on the board that they do in the NBA. Their coaches - Rivers, dAntoni, Jackson - are all well known and seem to keep going forever! You are overvaluing youth and playing experience. all coaches have to make a lot of mistakes as they learn human management, its the hardest job of all.
And who is to say that Stirling and Maher cant keep improving?

Hey Gerard, What about Mark Wright?

Good to see to thread still running
My choice still Mark Wright

Will not be back on few days as going into surgrey to have done replaced in arm

hope you can come up with a coach

do we look outside australia or do we have the coahing talent within

I think Gary Fox would be a good choice for the head coach position. Mark Wright seems to be the most confused person in most time outs.