By Jamie Thomas
The Newcastle Eagles wasted no time earlier in the
off-season in acquiring their newest Head Coach, and it was an announcement
that was met with much adulation as the Tyneside club appointed one of the most
exciting young coaches in the game, Marc Steutel, to the role.
Having excelled in his coaching career across various levels
of the game in several roles – including most recently as Acting Head Coach for
the Great Britain Men’s National Team – Steutel comes into the role with high expectations
placed on him. We caught up with him recently to find out more about how
excited he is for the challenge of leading the Eagles back up the table.
“Because of the heritage and the history of the club, when
that first tip-off takes place at the start of the season we’re going to be
expected to perform and to at least be one of the best teams, if not the
best, but that is what I signed up for and I was keen to take on that challenge.
“Last year was one season out of however many for as long as
I can remember where the club has underachieved, so everybody involved with
this club – from the people behind the scenes to the fans and everybody else – are
expecting to win and that’s where we all want to be.
“We have to be competitive from day one and that is the
plan. The BBL is incredibly tough and the last year in particular has really
shown that everybody from second to ninth was capable of beating everybody on
any given night. When you join the Eagles, you’re expected to win and me and my
players won’t be shying away from that.”
“It is our job to put a team together that plays the
right way.”
Steutel has already helped mastermind a few famous nights at
the Vertu Motors Arena in his coaching career, no less so than in the last
couple of years where he has led the GB team to historic victories over Germany
and Greece in qualifying action for FIBA EuroBasket and the 2023 World Cup.
An avid supporter of the club as well over many years, he
knows only too well how passionate the Eagles faithful are and Steutel spoke of
his excitement of coaching at the highest level in the country with the support
of such a passionate fanbase.
“Having coached at the Vertu Motors Arena in a Great Britain
capacity, the facility is amazing and you can see why it is one of the premier
venues in the country, but more importantly what sets it and the club apart is
the support the team has behind the…
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