Hawks contact Gleeson for coaching job

Five-time champion Perth Wildcats coach and former Toronto Raptors assistant Trevor Gleeson has confirmed Illawarra General Manager of Basketball Mat Campbell has approached him about the possibility of taking the currently vacant Hawks head coaching post.

Illawarra parted ways with former coach Jacob Jackomas on Tuesday following the club’s 2-7 start to the new season, and after NBL23’s bottom-placed finish.

Gleeson left the Wildcats to take up an assistant coaching post under Nick Nurse at the Toronto Raptors. He is now back in Perth without a coaching job.

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“Mat Campbell just called and wanted to know what’s my whereabouts and what I’m doing,” Gleeson told The Dribble Podcast.

“They’ll probably do their due diligence, see what they want to do for the future. Obviously there’s lots of water to go under the bridge and we’ll go from there.

“I said I want to coach again in the NBL. I believe I said I’ve got to wait for the right situation – if that’s the right situation, I don’t know.

“It’s too early to speculate on that, I’ve had overseas offers on the table. I’d have to work out what’s best for myself and the family.”

The former Melbourne and Townsville coach said he will not be necessarily be taking the next job on offer, and will only take on the right challenge for him.

“You have to do your due diligence – we might not align,” Gleeson said.

“When you go through an interview process you want your values, behaviours and if they align. That’s what happened when I came over here with Perth.

“It was similar beliefs and then we moved ahead. I’ve also been to other interviews that haven’t aligned so I take a step back, and say this isn’t right for me.”