EFFUSIVE probably isn't the first word you would use to describe Cairns Taipans coach Aaron Fearne.
In fact, Taipans president Denis Donaghy has compared him with rugby league coach Wayne Bennett.
Pictures: Cairns Taipans 2009-10
But the Bennett comparison is a massive compliment for Fearne, who has been involved with the Taipans since their entry into the NBL in the 1999-2000 season.
After playing the first two season with Cairns, Fearne became an assistant coach to Guy Molloy and continued with Alan Black before winning the top job for the 2009-10 season in his 11th year with the club.
Donaghy confirmed Fearne’s continued tenure on Thursday when the Taipans were among the nine teams announced by Basketball Australia to take part in the NBL next season.
And while Fearne said he still had plenty to learn, he is likely to be in the job for a long time to come.
"I’d like to think Fearney is with us as long as Wayne Bennett was with the Broncos," Donaghy said of Bennett’s 21-year NRL stint with Brisbane.
"He knows Cairns backwards.
"He knows what we’ve got to do to build a team. His heart is in it.
"It was a steep learning curve for him this year but I believe he’ll be a better coach for it.
"We’d like to think he’ll become a very long-term employee for the Taipans."
Fearne said he was looking forward to hitting the ground running next season.
"I’ve been here for 11 years now and had a great deal of involvement with a lot of the junior guys.
"To have my first year (as a head coach) in the NBL was definitely challenging and rewarding. I learnt a lot about myself and the team.
"There were things we did well and things we need to improve on."
Donaghy said Fearne, who started the enormously successful Taipans Academy program at the request of then head coach Molloy, represented everything the Taipans wanted to represent as a club.
And he was not alone in knowing the organisation, and basketball in Cairns, inside-out.
General manager Mark Beecroft has also been involved at all levels of the organisation, serving as Cairns Basketball administrator, Cairns Marlins player and coach, Taipans assistant coach, head coach and now general manager.
"Mark’s done pretty well every job there is to do in basketball in Cairns," Donaghy said.
