The Sunbury Jets will have a new Big V women’s state championship coach next season, with Ben Draper stepping down from the role.
Draper stepped into the role with the Jets this season, taking over from John White, who switched to the men’s side.
After a slow start with injuries and their imports coming in late, the Jets made the finals, finishing third.
They were knocked out in the finals in the first round of finals. Draper was a finalist in the coach of the year award.
The Jets announced that Draper had informed the club that he would be unavailable to coach the side next year.
“The SBA [Sunbury Basketball Association] would like to thank coach Ben Draper for his contribution and dedication to our senior women’s program over the past year,” said association general manager Chris Tighe.
“During the 2022 Big V season coach Draper led our state championship women’s team to the semi-finals.
“Coach Draper also had a hand in our VJBL [Victorian Junior Basketball League] try outs and assisted our under-18’s VJBL team while the coach had state commitments.
“Ben has been an active contributor to all our Jets programs during his time. Coach Draper understood what our club stands for.
“Ben’s dedication and commitment to our club has been tremendous and it’s been a pleasure watching his positive impact on our women’s program over the last 12 months.”
The SBA will begin the search for a suitable replacement in the coming weeks.
