Story by Mike Shaft.
Kevin Cadle has been in the British game for over 15 years, and has won every trophy available in the UK. Last season was the first time in over 10 years that he failed to win something. This season we will find him in a new role.
Fans of the British game will have been devastated to hear the news that the new Budweiser League season will begin with one of our top coaches unable to find a coaching spot.
For the past few years, Kevin Cadle has been at the helm of some of the top teams in England, the London Towers, Guildford and Kingston.
The Towers under coach Kevin Cadle has been pretty invincible in recent times but the last two seasons have seen the team struggle to maintain their success rate.
FIRST STOP IN ENGLAND – MANCHESTER
Kevin Cadle arrived in the English game at the original Manchester Giants who were at the time playing Altrincham Leisure Centre.
The Giants were in a difficult situation. The previous season had seen some rather large spending to try and achieve success but success did not come. Kevin Cadle had been making a rather big noise in Scotland where he took a rather mediocre Falkirk team to great success and broke the monopoly that was Scottish Basketball at the time.
His arrival in Manchester was greeted with great delight.
A serious budget cut would ensure that Cadle would have his work cut out. He managed to retain the awesome Vince Brookins and recruited a guard by the name of Virgil Kennedy.
These two ensured that the Giants were always competitive but although the team made it to the Play-Offs, there would be no Wembley appearance.
The Giants had drawn Crystal Palace and took the series to three.
In the deciding game, in Manchester, the team were down by 21 points late in the game and were dead and buried.
It was then that the Giants really showed their teeth, with Virgil sinking 7 amazing 3-pointers and Vince Brookins cleaning up on the defensive boards.
In the end, it would not be enough as Palace would hold on for the win by the skin of their teeth.
Kevin Cadle sat devastated in the locker room, there would be no trip to the Final 4, but it would not be long before all that would be put behind him.
At the end of the season, the Giants merged with Manchester United and decided to retain the United coach Joe Whelton.
Cadle would have to find pastures anew.
Next time I will tell you about Coach Cadle’s arrival in London.
Be the first to write a comment.
Your feedback