Carl English described the search as exhaustive. But as it turned out, what the St. John’s Edge was looking for proved to be close at hand.
As expected, Doug Plumb has been named the new head coach of the National Basketball League’s Edge.
Plumb, who turns 30 next month, was the lead assistant to Jeff Dunlap during the Edge’s inaugural season as St. John’s — led by star guard and league MVP English — went all the way to the Central Division final, losing to the eventual champion London Lightning.
It was actually Plumb’s second season as an NBL Canada assistant; he also held the job on Kyle Julius’s Lightning staff as London won the first of what would prove to be back-to-back titles.
After Dunlap left the Edge to return to the U.S. collegiate ranks and his native California, Plumb seemed a logical successor. English, who had been named the team’s interim general manager last month, even acknowledged Plumb as the leading candidate, but said the team would practice due diligence in filling the vacancy.
"After an exhaustive search, we are pleased to welcome Doug as the new head coach of the Edge," said English in a release from the team. "He sees the game in a modern way and his work ethic is second to none.
“During the interview process, Doug won us over with his preparation, his passion, knowledge and dedication to the game.
“His familiarly with the Edge also provides stability and continuity for the franchise.”
It’s the second major coaching announcement for a St. John’s pro sports team this week. On Tuesday, Fermeuse native Ryane Clowe was officially introduced as head coach of the Newfoundland Growlers, the ECHL expansion team that is in partnership with the Edge.
Plumb, a British Columbia native who makes his off-season home in Vancouver, was an all-Canadian guard with the UBBC Thunderbirds who also played professionally in Hungary and Romania, before beginning his coaching career in London.
He is also the founder and owner of Vancouver Basketball, an academy that among other things, conducts clinics throughout North America.
Plumb’s new duties will begin almost immediately as he, English and associate head coach Steve Marcus head to Las Vegas this weekend to scout the NBA Summer League’s there.
The Edge revealed its complete coaching staff for the 2018-19 NBL Canada season on Thursday, with Steven Marcus returning as associate head coach, while Stu Julius — Kyle Julius’s father — will take on the role of assistant.
Former Memorial University women’s head coach Doug Partridge will join the team as a consultant to the coaching staff.
Prior to joining the Edge last season, Marcus was a graduate assistant at North Carolina State, where Dunlap had been an assistant coach, and assistant director of basketball operations with the Maine Red Claws, the Boston Celtics’ NBA G-League affiliate.
Stu Julius brings more than three decades of coaching and administrative experience as the former head coach of the Wilfred Laurier University women's basketball team, athletic director and women's basketball coach at Lakehead University and a member of the coaching staffs of the Lightning and Mississauga Power, a former NBL Canada team.
This is actually the second time in less than a month that Partridge got a new job in basketball; he was named technical director of the Newfoundland and Labrador Basketball Association last month. He spent 23 years coaching with Memorial, guiding the Sea-Hawks to seven Atlantic universities ladies’ championships. being selected conference coach of the year eight times and getting named the Canadian university women’s basketball coach of the year in 2003.
He’s also very familiar with the Edge from his work as colour commentator alongside Steve Power for streaming broadcasts of St. John’s NBL Canada’s home games last season.
Twitter: @telysports
