Vern Robateau is in his second season in 2020 in the NBL1 North competition as Head Coach of the Sunshine Coast Phoenix, located at Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland.

Vern was All-State basketball player at Chugiak High School (Alaska) in 1984 and a four-year standout at the University of Alaska Anchorage. He is the UAA all-time leader in games played (124) and games won (90). Vern went to college at the University of Alaska-Anchorage, and then went on to a 7 year career as a professional basketball player in Germany, Belgium, Malaysia, New Zealand and Australia. Vern played with the Club he is now coaching during his playing career in 1995.

Vern was a Player Development Coach with the Brisbane Bullets under Head Coach Joey Wright in the mid 2000's, was Assistant Coach with the Suncoast Clippers who won the ABA Championship in 2006, and also in 2008 was an Assistant Coach with the Newberry Wolves Division 2 womens team in South Carolina before deciding to come back to the beaches of the Sunshine Coast.

In this interview, Vern talks about his early basketball career, his trip to the final four as a college player, his coaching and team goals for 2020 and the way in which he is bringing back local Sunshine Coast players to lead the Club on the floor this year. You can follow Vern's team through the Sunshine Coast Phoenix web page at: https://websites.sportstg.com/assoc_page.cgi?client=0-10741-0-510226-0