If Les Berry returns as head coach of the Halifax Rainmen next season, it will be in an increased capacity.
Rainmen owner Andre Levingston said Thursday that the team’s head-coaching job will involve significantly heavier scouting and recruiting duties going forward.
Levingston handled those duties last season after Berry replaced Rick Lewis with nine games remaining. Berry called the job a perfect fit when he was hired because it didn’t infringe on the time he spent with his wife and young son.
“There’s a lot more involved now,” said Levingston.
“It’s not just coming in and you already have a team in place and you coach it.
“It’s a lot of travelling, evaluating players, and his family is definitely involved in the decision because they’re going to see a lot less of him if he’s the coach.”
Berry, a Halifax native, posted a 6-3 record, but was unable to guide the gifted Rainmen to the playoffs.
Levingston said Berry is on vacation now, but he doesn’t want the decision to drag too far into the summer.
“A lot of questions need to be answered,” he said. “At the end of the day we’ll make a decision that’s best for the organization, and he’ll make a decision that’s best for his family.”
• The Premier Basketball League’s scoring champion added second-team all-star accolades to his resumé yesterday. A.J. Millien, who played the final nine games of the season with the Rainmen, was one of 11 players honoured by the PBL. He averaged a league-best 24.7 points per game.
• Rainmen star Eric Crookshank and centre Tyronne McNeal are expected to spend the summer in Halifax. They’ll run basketball camps as employees of the Rainmen.
