FRESH off their first win of the 2024/25 National Basketball League (NBL) season, the SEM Phoenix made a significant announcement on Sunday afternoon, confirming Josh King to be the team’s head coach moving forward after signing a two-year deal.

King replaces Mike Kelly, who was relieved of his duties following an 0-5 start to the season and a poor finish to the Phoenix’s campaign last time around. Change was imminent, and Kelly’s was the first head to roll.

The change prompted immediate results, with Sam McKinnon stepping up from his assistant coaching role to lead the team to a seriously impressive over Melbourne United in the Throwdown on Sunday, showcasing how dangerous the roster can be.

Now, King will be leading the Phoenix, as the team looks to move towards a move direction after a bottom-placed finish last season and a slow start over the past five weeks.

King was highly fancied by South East Melbourne, and will bring a defence-first mindset to the team having displayed that throughout his previous tenures around the world. Most recently, he coached Darüşşafaka in the Turkish Basketball Super League, but left that role early to join the Phoenix.

He also has experience coaching in the United States, having began his career in the collegiate ranks, where he made a name for himself as a master tactician.

If the 39-year-old can transform the Phoenix into an elite defensive team, and the offensive weapons acquired in the off-season can build on Sunday’s momentum, it could breathe some life into the team’s season, despite being dead and buried with an 0-5 start.

King will unfortunately be unable to call on the services of star point guard Derrick Walton Jr, who will spend multiple games on the sidelines after sustaining a hamstring injury in the win over United in Round 5.

The Phoenix’s new coach will head down under in the next seven days, and will coach his first game against the Tasmania JackJumpers on November 1, and with the reigning champions struggling of late, King could be in for some early success.

Phoenix General Manager Simon Mitchell was excited to see what King will bring to the Phoenix in the coming seasons.

“Josh brings a strong reputation, a clear philosophy on what success looks like, and a game style that will inject great energy into our program” Mitchell said.

“Tactically, Josh preaches a high intensity / high energy style on both ends of the floor, and this approach aligns perfectly with what we want the Phoenix DNA to be.”