Kevin Wagg is catching up with family obligations after stepping down from his role as Hawks franchise general manager last week. Photo/file
Kevin Wagg is catching up with family obligations after stepping down from his role as Hawks franchise general manager last week. Photo/file
Kevin Wagg has resigned as general manager of the Hawke's Bay basketball franchise competing in the national competition.
Wagg, who was appointed in March last year, stepped down last week.
The 49-year-old former radio breakfast show host for 28 years had assumed the mantle of the Taylor Corporation Hawks teammindful it was something completely outside his comfort zone.
However, franchise board chairman Keith Price says Wagg was always going to finish midway through this season.
"His stepdaughter's had a baby about a month ago and he wanted to go there to visit so it was always talked about, if you know what I mean," said Price, also a Napier city councillor, as Wagg and wife Mandy catch up with family members in Australia.
He suspects Wagg has been watching the Hawks play 2 Cheap Cars Supercity Rangers at Trusts Arena, Auckland, on Saturday next week in a 7pm tip off.
The Sal's Pizza-sponsored NBL is in recess this week because of the international window, with the Paul Henare-coached Tall Blacks hosting South Korea in Rotorua this week.
Price says he and wife Amy will take over the reins from Wagg for the rest of the season.
"He's left everything in place with all the run sheets and all so it's just a matter of we can see through the next four games. It's just a finishing off process to go through, really."
Amy, he says with a laugh, is a better typist than he is.
The board will probably advertise at the end of the season.
Price says Wagg had done a lot of work for the franchise.
"His life's in a way that he is probably in a position where he can take some time off to spend with the family."
Keith Price and wife Amy will take over the reins of the Hawks franchise general manager role until the end of the season. Photo/file
He says the Jarrod Kenny-captained Hawks face a season-defining match against the Wheeler Motor Canterbury Rams in a 7pm tip off at the Pettigrew-Green Arena, Taradale, on Saturday, July 12 after the Rangers.
It'll be the fourth-placed Rams' first visit to the PG Arena this season although they have lost to the Hawks in Christchurch.
Price says the Hawks had lost Australia import centre Angus Brandt last weekend to a Boomers' camp but he will now be available for the rest of the winter.
The fifth-placed Hawks, minus Brandt, lost 90-84 in extra time to the Augusta Taranaki Mountainairs in Napier last weekend after clawing their way back the previous round with Brandt to beat the Rangers here.
A dejected American import power forward, Jamie Skeen, had said the Hawks weren't playing to their potential.
Rotorua Boys' won with a last-play penalty after their prop reached for the ball in a scrum, sealing victory over Hastings Boys' with a clutch final kick.
