What has suspected would had happen, has happened.
In a way.
The St John’s Edge have named star guard Carl English as the National Basketball League of Canada team's general manager, but even though his tasks as outlined in a press release are wide-ranging — including helping choose a new head coach for the Edge — the Patrick's Cove native has been given the “interim” tag.
Whether the intention is that the job could become permanent or whether the 37-year-old English, the NBL Canada MVP last season, will definitely be returning as a player were not outlined in today’s release.
However, Rob Sabbagh sounded very much as if he and fellow co-owner Irwin Simon might be inclined to remove the interim GM designation at some time in the future.
“We are excited to give Carl English the opportunity to put the necessary pillars in place to bring this franchise to the next level,” Sabbagh was quoted in the release.
Even when he signed on as the Edge’s feature player last season, English stated he hoped to move into a basketball front office position at some point, something he re-iterated at the end of St. John’s inaugural campaign. English has also emphasized he has no interest in becoming a coach, but has never indicated it woulf be impossible to contnue playing during a transition period into management. The main factor is any decision to return to the court, he has repeatedly said, would be based on how he feels physically.
The Edge went all the way to the NBL Canada Central Division final in their expansion season with Jeff Dunlap as the team’s coach and GM. However, after little if any discussion about a potential contract extension, Dunlap returned to the U.S. collegiate ranks from where he had come, signing on as an assistant coach at NCAA Division 1 Cal State Northridge.
Doug Plumb, the lead assistant to Dunlap last season, is considered a top — if not the top candidate — to take over as head coach.
Besides “immediately” assisting with the naming of a head coach, the release also said English would be involved in development of a protected player list (the Edge can retain rights to a half dozen players from last season) and player recruitment.
Twitter: @telybrendan
