Vince Macaulay laughed at the scenario he faces: a Liverpool-born Reds fan taking the reins at a Manchester club. If his vision is realised, football ties will be severed as the iconic coach aims to take the Giants back to the top of the British Basketball League.
The former London Lions owner left the team at the beginning of 2022 as they moved in a ‘different direction’ following the arrival of 777 Partners. The group purchased 45 per cent of the BBL for £7 million in December 2021, and dropping the two-time BBL Coach of the Year was one of their early headline decisions.
Macaulay bears no ill will towards the Lions as he takes over as head coach and general manager at the Manchester Giants. He was amused at the idea of circling the fixtures against London, but the 62-year-old is focused on delivering silverware to ensure the Giants stand out amid a packed sporting landscape.
“We want to build a winning team and give the North another superpower,” Macaulay exclusively told Mirror Sport . “If you go back to the early 2000s, [Manchester] was a champion and had a really great operation playing at the Manchester Arena with record crowds in the BBL.
“I saw the potential in Manchester and the board asked me to take a look around. I saw there were a number of sponsors that wanted to get involved, so it all pushed me over the edge to give it a go.
“There’s a lot of good teams in Manchester across all sports, but I think the Giants brand is strong - we can unite City and United fans, for instance. We’ve got to grow the brand and focus all the basketball being played around the city and the area on one direction and one coming goal. If we do that, we can become really competitive.”
Macaulay has moved quickly to ensure he has familiar furniture in Manchester. The Giants announced the signing of Dirk Williams, another high profile signing ahead of the 2022-23 campaign after the American averaged 15.7 points per game last season.
The wing was one of London’s most consistent performers in the BBL, but had announced last week that he would not be returning to the Lions for a third year. The Giants become the third BBL club Williams has played for after a two-year spell with Sheffield Sharks where he showcased his tremendous athleticism.
Macaulay, who felt it was time to return to the sideline after six months away from the game, has also brought in last season's assist leader Rahmon Fletcher as he hopes to recruit a team strong enough to compete and clinch a playoff berth. He said: “For this kind of project, you need to bring experience into the building.
“I noticed no one has more experience than [Rahmon] Fletcher and we took the opportunity to bring him in. Obviously with Dirk [Williams], I think he’s one of the most lethal scorers in the country. We’ll be very potent, offensively and defensively, and hopefully we’ll be a place people don’t want to come to and play.
“We want to make it tough for anybody who comes into Manchester.”
It’s been seven months since Macaulay was abruptly axed in London following his illustrious stint at a club where he was a a part-owner before its takeover by 777 Partners. He helped the Lions into their first-ever European season two years ago before seeing his 11-year tenure come to an end during last year’s FIBA Europe Cup campaign.
So, does Macaulay feel refreshed ahead of the new challenge? He certainly does - and he is already scheming to shape the future of not just the Manchester Giants but British basketball as a whole.
“Most definitely,” Macauley says assertively when asked how his mentality has changed since leaving the Lions. “I took the opportunity to go to places I couldn’t go previously due to coaching, such as the Final Fours. I watched a lot of basketball around the county at a lot of different levels, and it gave me a wider perspective.
“The drafting of Jeremy Sochan from our Milton Keynes programme was inspirational and made me think about how much more we could be doing so we don’t just get one unicorn every decade - why can’t we produce more elite players? It’s galvanised me to work towards that goal.”
Before he reaches that goal, Macaulay will first deal with a new-look BBL following the spectacular decision to axe the salary cap. It has meant the Lions have been free to sign more established stars, including Basketball Champions League top scorer Vojtěch Hruban.
Who do you think will win the BBL in 2022-23? Let us know in the comments section.
Macaulay called the move to scrap the salary cap ‘brave and bold’ and while he conceded something needed to be done, he was amazed it was dropped completely. He also refuted the suggestion that clubs like the Lions and the Leicester Riders are set to take advantage of the ruling,
“As a British coach representing British players, I would have liked to see a minimum salary cap whereby the 12th guy on any BBL team knows what to expect to earn,” Macaulay said after briefly pondering the question. “With that move, the quality of players and the ethos of professionalism would continue to grow.
“I wouldn’t look at it as some teams get an advantage; I look at it as players getting paid - and that’s a good thing. It will probably create a chasm in the short term, but that’s a challenge to the other clubs to be better organisations and receive better sponsorship.
"The development seen across the BBL has attracted a lot of sponsors that we’re now working with in Manchester. More visibility means more sponsorship, which allows clubs to generate more revenue and invest that into players to raise the standard of the league.
“Ultimately, it will be decided on the floor.”
Amid the flurry of new signings and coaching changes, Macaulay is right: success will be decided on the court. Looking at his track record, it would be foolish to rule the Giants out as they embark on this exciting new chapter.
