South East Melbourne Phoenix are using AFL premiers Brisbane and late-season bloomers Hawthorn as examples that their NBL season is salvageable after sacking coach Mike Kelly.
Phoenix general manager of basketball Simon Mitchell said his phone had been running hot in the 24 hours since they axed Kelly following their 0-5 start to the season.
Kelly was given the news on Sunday, the morning after their 87-85 defeat by fellow strugglers Brisbane Bullets.
They are the only side yet to taste victory this campaign, having also finished last on the ladder in Kelly's injury-plagued first season in charge.
Assistant coach Sam Mackinnon has taken over as interim coach immediately, and has already told the Phoenix he would like to be considered for his first permanent head coach role.
"The phone has been buzzing with various levels of experience ... right through to really world class people who have shown some interest," said Mitchell.
"We will scour domestically and the planet to find candidates we think can lead this team forward.
"We want to do it quickly but at the same time we're going to take our time, so we're going to find the sweet spot to get the right person to lead this team into the future."
He said that everyone at the club, including the players, needed to "shoulder some burden and responsibility" for their poor start which led to Kelly's demise.
Mitchell said there was still belief they had the roster to compete for the title but acknowledged they had players out of form, with ex-NBA guard Derrick Walton Jr nor Olympic medallist Nathan Sobey among those below par.
He used the Lions, who were 2-5 to start the 2024 season before going on to win the flag, and the Hawks, who were 0-5 but made the semi-finals, as a reminder that all was not lost.
"We have some players who are down on form at the moment but we believe they can turn that form around a little quicker with the leadership of somebody else," said Mitchell, who preceded Kelly as Phoenix head coach.
"We believe in this group and that this roster can actually do really well.
"Whilst we're 0-5 we have 23 games to go and we saw last year with Illawarra and we've seen in the AFL season that's just gone, with Brisbane and also Hawthorn.
"We feel like there is a turnaround in this group and the group is really positive and solid and they believe in each other and we believe in them."
