Basketball: Arsego's pink slip causes blushes

Former Breakers head coach Frank Arsego. Picture / Fotopress

New Zealand Breakers management insist a typing booboo rather than anything sinister was behind an embarrassing glitch on yesterday's departure notice for coach Frank Arsego.

The Breakers' statement confirming Australian Arsego had been released by "mutual and amicable agreement" was dated Monday, January 17, 2005.

For weeks as the Breakers' Australian NBL playoff hopes receded from slim to zero, there has been speculation that Arsego was on the way out.

However, Breakers chairman Keith Ward insisted yesterday that the blunder was a simple error and not a release which had been prepared a fortnight ago.

"It's a pure typo," he said. "It was written last night [Monday], approved this morning and issued with the wrong date on it. Period.

"It was pasted onto a previous press release and wasn't corrected. There was no hidden or deeper meaning than that."

Ward maintains there were no plans to ditch Arsego before last Sunday. The Breakers' board discussed the situation and met Arsego on Monday.

"The 40-point loss to Brisbane [last week] was for me a personal catalyst to say this wasn't working out," Ward said.

"I spoke to some other board members and we only met yesterday [Monday]. It was a recent development on our part and anybody who feels media speculation building up has put any overt pressure on us is completely wrong. It wasn't even in our thought pattern."

Ward said it was time to look towards next season and making the playoffs, which were a step towards the ultimate goal of a league title.

"For whatever reason things haven't gelled [between Arsego and the players].

"The board have said we need to see what we can do to improve our chances of gaining more victories," he added.

The Breakers, bottom of the 11-team ANBL and out of playoff contention, have five games left in the regular season. Arsego, whose contract ran until the end of the 2005-06 season, will see the season out.

South Australian Arsego, 42, was Jeff Green's assistant before taking over when Green left one-third of the way through their debut campaign in November 2003. The Breakers bounced back from a 2-7 win-loss record to notch up an almost 50 per cent winning record for the rest of that season under Arsego.

But this season has been a shocker, and Arsego admitted to a mix of emotions when told he was out of a job.

"There was little bit of surprise, obviously some disappointment and also in some ways a reality," he said.

"The team haven't been as successful as we wanted it to be this season so unfortunately when these situations arise it's the prerogative of a club to look at certain areas and I'm first one up."

Arsego, who spent five years as head coach at the Australian Institute of Sport before joining the Breakers, admitted he was not a dictatorial type of coach. He liked to give players the chance to express themselves. Sometimes it worked, too often it didn't.

He will reflect on a season when consistency was not the Breakers' strong suit. Before last Saturday's win over the ailing West Sydney Razorbacks, they had lost six games on the bounce.

Five games were lost by five or fewer points. Arsego could only reflect that had some gone the other way, playoff hopes would still be alive.

He also had to put up with internal ructions within the squad, including senior player Dillon Boucher swapping uncomplimentary text messages about Arsego's coaching style with Green.

As for the last five irrelevant games, Arsego said there was an obligation on coach and players to do their best.

"You're not always going to be successful, not have good times all the time, but when you have a little adversity the really committed people will stick at it."

Ward said it was hoped to have the new coach in charge before the Breakers' planned trip to China in April.

Season's record

* Played 27, won 8, lost 19.
* Sitting last on 11-team ladder.
* Games remaining:
Feb 9: v Townsville (h).
Feb 12: v Townsville (a).
Feb 13: v Cairns (a).
Feb 18: v Perth (a).
Feb 20: v Perth (a).