Kerry Williams Joins Taipans Coaching Staff

The Cairns Taipans have completed their NBL22 coaching staff with Kerry Williams, who has been elevated to assistant coach in addition to his duties as Community Development and Taipans Indigenous Programs Manager.
 
Williams has been involved with the club since 2003 and has been diligently developing his coaching acumen while working in the front office. He was appointed to the helm of the Cairns Marlins for their inaugural NBL1 North season earlier this year and will take the team to the semi-finals next week.
 
The 34-year-old will remain in his role as Basketball Queensland’s State Performance Officer for Cairns, having also previously served as BQ’s Women’s U20’s Head Coach and Head Coach of the Cairns Dolphins in the QBL.
 
His hard work was recently rewarded with a selection to the Australian Boomers as an assistant for the 2021 FIBA Qualifier in February, prior to the Tokyo Olympics.
 
Taipans CEO Mark Beecroft said he was extremely proud of how far Williams has come in his career, and his unwavering loyalty to the club was something to be commended.
 
“Kerry Williams is a stalwart of our club and I think I speak on behalf of everyone when I say this is a really special appointment and one that is well-deserved.
 
“Kerry has always been committed to this club and his coaching talent continues to be recognised through his positions at Cairns Basketball, his roles with BQ and his recent representation at the Australian Boomers,” said Beecroft.
 
“There is also some nostalgia in it for many of us that have been involved with basketball in Cairns over the years, having seen a young Kerry Williams and a young Nathan Jawai stomping the grounds of CBI as teenagers and the journey they have both taken. We managed to reunite them in the NBL1 this year, but it is equally as meaningful to get them both back in orange and I know the fans are going to love it.”
 
Despite being involved with his hometown club and association for almost 20 years, Williams said that this felt like a brand-new chapter in his life.
 
“This is a dream come true for me. I joined the Taipans Academy when I was 15 years old and I’m so grateful for the opportunities they have afforded me since then. It’s crazy to be back on the team bench now as an assistant, I just want to do this club proud,” said Williams.
 
“I’m looking forward to working with [Adam] Fordey and Sam [Gruggen] - we have obviously crossed paths before, but this is going to be a new experience for all of us. We are really dedicated to bringing success to the Taipans and working hard to ensure that happens this season, and beyond.”
 
The former Taipans player (105 games) is a major part of the basketball fabric in Cairns, also previously playing for the Marlins and winning the ABA championship and Queensland Basketball League (QBL) twice (2004, 2007) as well as another state QBL Championship (2009).

Kerry Williams joins new Taipans Head Coach Adam Forde and assistant Sam Gruggen.

The completed 2021-22 team roster consists of Scott Machado, Cam Oliver, Tahjere McCall, Nathan Jawai, Majok Deng, Mirko Djeric, Kouat Noi, Jordan Ngatai, Jarrod Kenny, Keanu Pinder and Bul Kuol.