By BBC SPORTS
newsdesk@reporter.co.ke
Scotland have appointed American Erik Olson as their new national basketball coach on a two-year contract.
He has been charged with qualification for the Commonwealth Games in 2018 and will work closely with Scotland’s only professional team, Glasgow Rocks.
Olson has also been given the task of finding players capable of playing for Scotland and Team GB in the future.
He has previously coached sides in Australia, Iceland and United States and played for Falkirk Fury.
Erik Olson played for Falkirk Fury. Photo Scottish Basketball.
Olson said: “To me, this is not an overnight success story but a story in which we will continue to see high-level players come out of the national team and now Rocks programme for years to come.
“We now have an elite model within Scotland and, with the Rocks partnership, we will be able to directly implement a proper training method to allow not only our young players but also key national team players the environment they need to develop and eventually turn into elite players themselves.”
A former shooting guard, Olson helped take Fury to their Scottish Cup title in 2009 before moving to play for Wagga Heat of the Australian Waratah League.
He was awarded Eurobasket Icelandic Coach of the Year in 2015 as his side, FSu Academy Iceland, were crowned play-off champions and won promotion to the Premier League.
Olson has also been involved in the USA Under-18 select squad and the Icelandic national team.
