Nix shoots to bring success back to hometown Slammers

AFTER four years coaching the Perry Lakes Hawks, Charles Nix felt it was time for a change and he could think of nothing better than coaching his hometown South West Slammers as he looks to bring success back to the Bunbury SBL club.

Nix grew up in Bunbury, got his first chance in a coaching role at SBL level with the Slammers and can't help but feel it is a homecoming having been appointed coach of South West coming into the 2017 season.

He is coming off a run as coach of Perry Lakes the past four years after replacing Shawn Dennis mid-season when he departed to coach the Townsville Crocodiles in the NBL.

Nix was able to have the Hawks around the mark and the past two years they took it right up to the defending champions in three-game series' in the quarter finals before just falling in Game 3 on the road firstly to the Joondalup Wolves in 2015 and then the Cockburn Cougars last year.

But after some soul searching after that defeat to the Cougars, Nix felt that it might be in the best interests of both himself and the Hawks for them to go their separate ways.

With the chance to coach the Slammers, it was something that Nix couldn’t help but be excited about and that enthusiasm has only grown with the season is almost upon him.

"I'm ecstatic to be here and we've got a great bunch of guys, a really supportive board and a community that gets 100 per cent behind the team. I'm excited to lead the team out in front of our home crowd which you don’t tend to get in Perth which is exciting," Nix said.

"It's a new squad for me which is exciting and before we started playing games I was unsure where we were at, but we had a good hit out against the Wolves before the Blitz and I was really happy coming out of that. I now can't wait for the season to start."

Nix has fond memories of the glory days of the Slammers winning SBL championships in 1995, 1996, 1998 and 1999 and watching the likes of James Fitch, Ricardo Boyd and Wade Bennett.

That's why he was so excited about the chance to help bring some success back to the Slammers and felt the timing was perfect for him to make the move.

"I grew up supporting the club so for me it would be amazing to bring some success back here. I remember the years of Fitch, Boyd, Bennett and all those guys who dominated and won multiple championships," he said.

"I would love to be able to bring some sort of success here and it would mean the world to me, and to my mum who is from the south-west. Bunbury is my hometown, I grew up down here and this is where I had my first SBL coaching gig as an assistant.

"After speaking with Perry Lakes and the Slammers, this opportunity just seemed like a better fit for me. To be fair it seems like a better fit for Perry Lakes as well. After four years they wanted some new blood and I was excited by the opportunity here in Bunbury."

Looking back on his time at the Hawks and especially the past two years going so close to upsetting the eventual champions as the No. 8 seed, Nix learned a lot from those experiences.

"It was a massive learning experience for me and it was my first head coaching job at this level. Every year I felt like I improved and every year there were different aspects of the game that I was getting better at," Nix said.

"I take a lot from those years at Perry Lakes and if we had a bit of luck, and it does take a lot of luck to make it through to the end of the year, and a better run with injuries or had a few calls here and there, it could have been different.

"I'm really happy that I went through those experiences and I feel like I'm a better coach as a result, and now I can use all those experiences to take the Slammers to where we want to go."

Obviously without the talent on the court to help Nix's coaching development that he has undergone he won't be able to carry it through, but there's every reason to expect the Slammers to be a contender in 2017.

Coming off the grand final in 2015, the Slammers missed the playoffs last year but it was a season ravaged by injury and things just never got going.

Now coming into this season, despite losing the experience of Trent Worthington and Wade Hitchcock with the recruitment of big man Ben Smith not coming to fruition due to an ankle injury, Nix has assembled an exciting squad.

Tre Nichols has recommitted for a third season, triple-double warrior Brian Voelkel is back and Michael Lay is on board as a local to help Nichols with the ball-handling duties.

With Clive Weeden now fully healthy after returning from a knee reconstruction last year and with some young players ready to keep developing, Nix can't be happier with the group he has at his disposal.

"It's a really hungry group and they are a group of guys who are willing to do the work and sacrifice for each other, and they understand what it takes," he said.

"I think we've got a really good balance with some talented kids coming through like Lucas Goff, Travis Vogel and Brody England.

"Those three will impact in the SBL this year so we have youth coming in, but we also have the experience of Michael and Clive, and Brian and Tre are obviously in their prime. We've got really good balance in our squad so I think if we can stay healthy we can be in the conversation this year."

Any team that has a fully healthy Nichols in the SBL is always going to be a chance to go a long way. Not only is Nix excited to be coaching him, but they have already developed a strong bond.

"To be 100 per cent honest, Tre was a big part in getting me here. I've had a good relationship with Tre over a number of years now and he had been in contact with me, so I think part of his job was to get me here," Nix said.

"Without being disrespectful to any of my previous players, it is exciting to be coaching someone with Tre's professionalism. You can have imports that don’t treat the game the way that Tre treats the game, he is very professional with everything he does.

"He is one of the hardest workers I've ever seen, he is a great communicator and he's willing to listen and learn. He is a complete package and it's exciting to have him, and he drives the standards and culture of the club."

An addition for the Slammers that could prove the most significant is Lay returning to the SBL. He previously played at the Hawks under Nix and now that he has been naturalised, his combination in the back court with Nichols is going to be eye-catching.

"To have Mike's experience will be huge. A couple of years ago he was an elite guard in our league and he hasn’t really lost a step. We are fortunate to have him but it won't be just up to Mike and Tre to make plays and handle the ball," he said.

"We've got Teny (Puot) here as well who is a great young guy and we have another couple of young kids coming through to help shoulder that burden. But Mike is obviously a special talent and for him to fall into our lap like he has we can consider ourselves lucky."

Voelkel too is another reason for Nix to expect a rise up the table again for the Slammers in 2017. He had a superb season in the grand final year of 2015 as perhaps the most ferocious competitor in the league.

Nix hated coaching against him because of that, but is delighted to have him on his team.

"Coaching against him two years ago was hell to be honest. He was really hard to coach against and that was part of the reason I wanted to bring him back here so badly," he said.

"I love the way he plays, I love that it doesn’t matter if it's a pre-season, a regular season game or a final, he will approach it the same way with that tenacious attitude. When you've got a guy averaging a triple-double, it speaks volume for what he brings to us."

It was an exciting year off the court in 2016 for Nix as well with the arrival of his baby daughter and seeing her continue to grow up keeps bringing a glint to his eye.

"Family life is fantastic and it has been a little bit of an adjustment with me travelling down here a couple of days a week from Perth, but I've got a really supportive partner and a great kid," Nix said.

"My little daughter is nearly eight months now and she's crawling around, and she lights up a bad day and when she looks at me everything is fine again. It's great to have kids."




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