Fleur McIntyre and the Human Side of Coaching

Written for nbl.com.au by Tom Hersz

 

Sometimes your life can change course in an instant.

Not everyone is afforded the opportunity to turn a passion into a career, but that’s exactly what happened to Fleur McIntyre. After leaving her job of some 16 years at the University of Notre Dame in Fremantle last year, McIntyre took some time off to think about what she wanted to do next. She knew she wanted to do something different but wasn’t sure what that was.

A phone call from Luc Longley changed all that. Last week McIntyre was announced as the newest assistant coach for the Sydney Kings. She’ll be joining the coaching staff of the Kings’ new head coach, Chase Buford, alongside former NBL champion and two-time MVP, Kevin Lisch. 

In the process, she’ll become just the fifth female to coach in the NBL.

McIntyre, who has always been around the game of basketball, predominantly as a player and a coach, never really thought she could turn coaching into a profession – until Longley called.

“The question was asked of me by both Chase and Luc of why I’d never pursued professional coaching,” McIntyre told NBL Media on Tuesday.  

“I sort of said to them, look I had a career. My career was on a trajectory, I was finishing my PhD, I was getting promoted to Associate Professor and heading up my department, so everything was going really well for me in that. Obviously, timing was everything so when Luc called, perfect timing. 

“I never really thought that I couldn’t do it, it was just something that I’d never really considered. There wasn’t really any doubt or anything thinking that I wouldn’t be able to do this, I was more excited to come and give it a crack.”

McIntyre never lacked the credentials for the job. She is a life member at the Cockburn Cougars for her state league career in the SBL (now NBL1 West) in WA that saw her play 270 games between 1995-2004 before her moving into coaching and being an SBL commissioner.

As a coach, she’s been a head coach on the women’s side and an assistant on the men’s side and also an assistant in the WNBL with the Perth Lynx. 

She’s worked closely with Basketball WA's high performance programs, coaching several state teams over the journey and she’s also been involved from a community and charitable perspective with organisations around the game.

So once she entered the process for the Kings’ role, she was always a serious candidate. And when Buford called McIntyre to offer her the job, there was no hesitation in knowing this was the change she’d been looking for.

“I was overjoyed,” McIntyre admitted. 

“From my initial phone call with Luc asking me if I was interested in applying, I did say to Luc later on that I couldn’t sleep that night thinking ‘wow, is this an actual possibility?’, so my excitement levels were definitely up anyway. 

“But to receive the phone call from Chase saying that they’d like to offer me the position, I was absolutely ecstatic and I accepted on the spot basically.”

 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The <a href="https://twitter.com/SydneyKings?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SydneyKings</a> have named Kevin Lisch and Fleur McIntyre as Assistant Coaches for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL22?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL22</a><br><br>They join new Kings head coach Chase Buford on the bench for the season ahead.<br><br>Details: <a href="https://t.co/yhx6dLN3vA">https://t.co/yhx6dLN3vA</a></p>&mdash; The NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1415541618241724419?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

The process McIntyre went through to secure the job was not a quick one. She had several conversations – some less formal, some formal interviews – with Longley, CEO Chris Pongrass, Buford and even Kings owner Paul Smith.

But it was that process that helped to sell her on the fit with the Kings organisation, the direction they were headed and how she could be a part of that.

“I’ve got to be honest, dealing with the entire Kings organisation, the front office, the coaching staff has been incredible,” said McIntyre. 

“I can’t speak highly enough about how wonderful and supportive they’ve been in welcoming me to the organisation. But I guess what I was really impressed about, talking to Paul in particular and talking to Luc about, was their vision for the organisation over the next two to three years and where they wanted things to go. [Both] from obviously an on-court perspective, but also an off-court perspective in terms of them engaging with the community and what they were hoping for. 

“So that really appealed to me because obviously I’ve done a lot of community work through basketball in combining that with my professional career. 

“And my interview with Chase, I just had such a wonderful vibe off him. I thought our personalities meshed quite well in terms of our philosophies and I guess under-pinning everything is finding joy in what you do and having fun while you’re doing it.”

The Kings were interested in more than just McIntyre’s basketball credentials though. Her professional background and her focus on connecting with people, in building relationships with those people she is helping to develop, was certainly part of the appeal.

“I think what I brought and what they liked was my background in teaching and skill acquisition, and also sports psychology and sociology,” she continued. 

“And I think also that education perspective; I’ve dealt with so many diverse groups over the last 16 years, in community volunteering, I sit on a couple of boards, my work with students, so I have a lot of background in working with adolescents and adults, and I think they really appreciated my holistic perspective in how I look at human beings and how I work with human beings to maximise their potential, where they want to go and help them succeed as well as aligning it to the organisation’s vision.”

McIntyre will play a key role in player development on Buford’s coaching staff. That teaching background is a major strength in the way she approaches coaching players and the relationship side will also be critical in getting the most out of the talent the Kings have on their roster.

But make no mistake. McIntyre has a very strong basketball mind and is just as comfortable with X’s and O’s as she is with player development. However, the development side of things is certainly something she really enjoys.

“I love it. I absolutely love it,” McIntyre explained. 

“I’m a big fan of combining all of it to be honest. I love the X’s and O’s, trying to figure out solutions, spit-balling ideas and how we’re going to tackle things, but for me as well, I love human connection. I love getting to know people, I think I’m a really good listener; I’m just interested in people. 

“People tease me all the time that I ask so many questions because I can’t help it. I just love learning about people and I think when you’re trying to help people and understand them, where they want to go and you’re in that position to do so, that’s one of the things that I really cherish; particularly from a coaching perspective.”

 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A/Prof Fleur McIntyre presenting on self worth in <a href="https://twitter.com/notredameaus?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@notredameaus</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AMPitup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AMPitup</a> program <a href="https://twitter.com/dcd13fi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@dcd13fi</a> <a href="https://t.co/pBjU5Q5U8k">pic.twitter.com/pBjU5Q5U8k</a></p>&mdash; Paola Chivers (@DrChiversPaola) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrChiversPaola/status/1136917783265103872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 7, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

On the Sydney roster for NBL22, McIntyre will have the opportunity to build connections with and work on the court with a number of exciting young players. There is a real mix of veterans, established talent, emerging players and some that are just beginning their professional journeys.

From Xavier Cooks coming off an injury plagued season and ready to emerge as a star, to most improved candidate Jordan Hunter, Rookie of the Year candidate DJ Vasiljevic and Angus Glover who has battled through injuries on and off for years, but will be just 23 years old when NBL22 tips off and looking to fulfil the promise he showed as a junior. 

Then there is 18-year-old Jaylin Galloway who has just signed a three-year deal to return to the Kings, 19-year-old Biwali Bayles who has returned to Australia after one year with the University of Hawaii and 20-year-old Wani Swaka Lo Buluk who recently signed with the Kings as an injury replacement for Vasiljevic.

“I’m excited to work with the whole roster,” McIntyre explained. 

“Obviously you’ve got your more senior guys with your Shaun Bruce’s and watching a lot of the NBL last year, seeing Jordi Hunter’s development and how he progressed across the season I think was particularly exciting. 

“I actually coached Wani in under 16s and under 18s over here [in WA], so we’ve actually had a relationship since Wani was about 14. And I’ve coached against Biwali at National Championships when he was competing for NSW Metro. So the opportunity to re-unite with Wani who is someone that I’ve had a lot to do with and I think is such a special kid – well he’s not a kid anymore, I should stop calling him that – and work with him is really exciting. 

“Obviously, I watched some of the under 19 World Cup games, and watched Biwali and Jaylin Galloway playing. So, I could list the entire team; I’m excited to work with everyone. Particularly in trying to understand what their immediate goals are.

“I’m also a huge fan of how Xavier Cooks plays the game. I think he has just such a tremendous capacity to impact a game and I’m really hopeful that, barring injury, he can go to a new level this year in the NBL and really stamp his authority on the league.”

While she won’t be able to join the team in Sydney until this current lockdown is over, McIntyre is already doing her homework from Perth. That has included chatting with good friends such as Adam Caporn to get some insights on some of the guys who’ve been through his program at the Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence. Caporn is currently in Tokyo with the Boomers and has had Xavier Cooks at camp the past few weeks in the United States.

McIntyre is also very close with former Perth Wildcats champion, Greg Hire. As a director for his charity, A Stitch in Time, as well as knowing each other through Western Australian basketball circles including coaching his wife and emceeing Hire’s wedding, the two have a long history together.

Hire wasn’t aware that McIntyre had even applied for the Kings job. He’d been trying to help her find her next role once she left her academic career and while he wasn’t involved in helping her through this process, it is something he’d contemplated for her previously.

Years ago before she was really making inroads in coaching, he’d asked her if she’d be keen on Men’s coaching.

“I just thought she could actually do it,” Hire told NBL Media on Tuesday. 

“One, she’s got confidence, but just her ability to communicate which is remarkable. To be able to have both sexes listening is big.”

So when she called to tell him that she’d have to resign as a Director from his charity because of the Kings job, he was pretty chuffed.

“Obviously you’re surprised because I had no knowledge of that [process], but just proud because I’m a massive believer of things happen for a reason and she’d been doing her job as a professor for a significant amount of time. So for this to happen, based largely on her reputation – which is not surprising – I’m obviously over the moon for her.”

McIntyre intends to pick Hire’s brain too, which he is fine with. He’ll help her with his knowledge of the league and in any other way possible, but he knows she’ll succeed at this level because of her approach.

“She obviously has the knowledge, there’s no denying that,” Hire explained.

“But her ability to, one, be empathetic to athletes or to professional basketball players, but to still be able to command respect. You can’t ignore the fact that she’ll be the fifth woman to coach in the NBL, so there’s got to be something behind that. 

“But I think she’s a rare type, so I think people will acknowledge her not because it’s the right thing to do, more so because of who she is as a person. 

“She’ll be able to understand players and what drives them. The other benefit I see is similar to what Matt Neilson was with us at the Perth Wildcats as that bridge between front office, the coaching staff, the players. To be able to have that banter and to be able to communicate across all stakeholders that are important to the club, might be very important in all those roles as well.”

 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The dedication and commitment required to succeed as a Coach in the NBL is extraordinary. Very proud to have this group of professionals coming together around us. A special shout out to Fleur as our newest recruit, welcome to The Hoops Capital and The Greatest City in the World <a href="https://t.co/p1jqThXigc">https://t.co/p1jqThXigc</a></p>&mdash; Paul Smith (@psmithtse) <a href="https://twitter.com/psmithtse/status/1415548457884950534?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

McIntyre is acutely aware of the rarity of a woman working as a coach in a professional men’s league. As just the fifth female to be hired in the NBL coaching ranks behind Michele Timms, Lori Chizik, Tracy York and Chanel Pompallier, she hopes her appointment can help to pave the way for others.

“Firstly, I want to acknowledge the pioneers that have come before me,” said McIntyre. 

“Because without understanding the foundations that have been laid by these wonderful women and just to be mentioned in the same sentence as people like Lori Chizik and Michele Timms, you know icons of Australian basketball, I have to admit I find it such an honour to be even mentioned with them.

“I am fortunate because I lecture in gender and sport, and we’re seeing an increasing rise in accessibility of elite pathways for female athletes, but unfortunately we are much slower for executive and leadership positions for women in sport. So, the responsibility that I feel as a role model now is one that I honour and I feel appreciative of. 

“And hopefully that then encourages other organisations to look a little bit more diversely and look outside with what they’re currently doing to perhaps extend their search as we have wonderful things to offer. Not just because we’re female, but of a whole breadth of experiences that may be able to value-add for organisations.”

Of course, having coached Men before at NBL1 / SBL level as well as WA State Boys teams in under 16s and under 18s, McIntyre is no stranger to walking into a locker room and being the only female. It doesn’t phase her at all given her background, nor is it something she even thinks about.

“I think my previous experiences in both basketball and professionally hold me in good stead,” she explained. 

“I don’t really think about it in terms of men and women. My biggest thing is trying to understand human beings. I try and treat everyone as an individual and try and understand what they want and where they want to go, rather than going by gender classifications. So that’s what I tend to bring and that’s not going to change just because I’m going into the NBL.”

But she is also going to bring a tremendous basketball IQ to the Kings and Buford’s new staff. The style of play Buford is planning to run should be a fun brand of basketball and McIntyre is already looking forward to, and thinking about, how the coaching staff will begin to implement that.

“If you’ve watched any of Chase’s Wisconsin Herd games in terms of their style of play, they like to play fast, they like to get out and run, but I think more importantly, I love his approach defensively. Everything is about competing and toughness,” she explained.

“How we establish that in a learning environment, particularly in a practice environment, I think is going to be critical for us translating that into games. So, speaking to him, I really enjoyed his approach to defence. 

“And offensively, I’m hoping that we’re going to be as exciting as the style of play tends to be in that we’re going to get out and run and space the floor, but also in utilising the length that we have, the bigs that we have in Jarell Martin and Jordi Hunter and obviously playing through Xavier a little more too.”

For now, McIntyre waits in Perth until she can travel over to Sydney, until she can throw herself into this new career path and start to make a difference to the Kings. It’s a new opportunity for her, so what is she looking forward to most about it?

“I think just integrating myself into the organisation, learning from Chase and Kev and all the coaching staff, and I think just engaging with the Sydney community as well. They’re things that I’m passionate about and I hope those things come to fruition as we go forward.”