This award goes to Phill Jones. Phil Jones created a pair of unique records as he coaxed some outstanding performances from the two teams he coached in his home town of Nelson in 2023.
The Nelson U17 representative team beat main rivals Canterbury 78-71 in the Grand Final of the AON U17 National Championships with the added bonus of Phill’s son Hayden named the Tournament Most Valuable Player. This was the first national title won by a Nelson representative team since 2001 when a couple of up and comers – Mika Vukona and Mike Fitchett – helped Nelson claim the 2001 U20 National title.
Later in the year the Waimea College senior team carried all before them as they won the local schools competition and the Nelson clubs Premier competition. Still unbeaten they swept the Zone 4 Qualifying Tournament to book their spot at the New Zealand Secondary Schools National Championships in Palmerston North. At Nationals the team went all the way to the Grand Final before going down 77-72 to Wellington College.
It was the first time Waimea had appeared in the National Final in addition accomplishing a feat not seen by a Nelson team for well over a decade – Nelson College were finalists in 2007 and before that were champions in 2000. Waimea lost just that one game all season and Nelson U17’s went undefeated, the two teams combining for 5 titles and 1 runners-up spot in the 2023 season.
Phill Jones is the deserved recipient of the Keith Mair Award for the 2023 Male Coach of the Year.
