Lightning Watch: Fired before their time?

Header image for Interrobang article CREDIT: OTTAWA SUN
Kevin Keathley and Fred Grannum were the first two coaching casualties in the NBLC – both falling in the first month.

When this article is published in early December, the National Basketball League of Canada will be one month into its 2013/14 season. By then, we'll be 20 per cent through the season, as playoffs should wrap up near the start of April. And by the time you read this, at least 20 per cent of head coaches in the league will have been fired.

If you are reading this article, you'd realize that if this trend continues, every coach in the league will suffer the same fate come the end of the playoffs.

For a developmental league, the head coaches aren't really getting a chance to develop.

That's not the point of the league, and teams obviously know that. But this will show badly on the league and the teams within it.

But take the Mississauga Power's opening day head coach in Fred Grannum for example; he came as an assistant coach from Humber and he was the first Canadian to coach in the league. They dropped him after starting 2- 4 (which included an opening day victory over the London Lightning). To be fair, they gave the job to David “D.J.” Joseph, a Canadian who also has collegiate experience coaching the Centennial College's men's team, but just because they gave it to another Canadian doesn't mean it's right to fire a coach after a month. This is a reputation the Power has been building; during a season-and-a-half stretch when the team was in Oshawa, they hired four coaches. Not only is the Power scaring away coaches from Mississauga, they are also leaving a mark on the entire league.

This takes us to the Ottawa SkyHawks, who fired Kevin Keathley after the team went 4-3 through the franchise's first seven games.

Keathley was winning games.

SkyHawks owner Gus Takkale was quoted in the Ottawa Sun as saying the team's wins should have been bigger, by about 30 or 40 points, not by 10 or so. He also said that he has a “close relationship with the players” and they told him they needed more “preparation.” What is a coach going to say after Googling Keathley and Takkale's names and coming to this article? That the owner wants massive wins? That the owner claims to have a closer relationship to the players than a coach ever will? Interesting quotes, that's for sure.

Yet, there's even more interesting quotes from Keathley, claiming he was let go was due to financial reasons, saying, “I guess the first guy you look to if it's financial is the coach — the guy making a bit of money.” He also mentioned he was working on a Letter Of Intent, basically on a handshake, and was never was on an actual contract, just a handshake (although he admitted to never asking for one).

Regardless, ex-NBAer Jaren Jackson will take his place in Ottawa. He's a good hire, but has any of this looked “good” on Ottawa, Mississauga or more importantly, the National Basketball League of Canada?

Marty Thompson is the play-by-play voice of the London Lightning for their livestream, SportsLive24.net.