Steutel making his Marc
TN COACH CELEBRATES GB CALL FOR EURO UNDER-20S
TEAM Northumbria men’s basketball head coach Marc Steutel will lead Great Britain into battle next month after returning to the international fold as head coach of the under-20s.
The 2018 Fiba Under-20 European Championship takes place from July 14-22 in Germany.
Steutel has added former TN favourite Josh Merrington to his backroom staff ahead of the trip to Germany.
Great Britain’s Under-20s met for a pre-tournament training camp in Colchester this week with 16 players invited to make their case for inclusion in the final squad.
Steutel is back in the national team programme for the first time in five years after assisting Doug Leichner in 2013.
The TN playcaller said: “I am beyond honoured and humbled to lead this year’s under-20s into the European Championships.
“It is the proudest moment to represent your country and I will ensure everyone involved is working relentlessly to make everyone proud of our group.
“Inevitably, there will be some challenges of competing at this level and all the staff are aware of that.
“However, we are confident of establishing a positive environment in which our players can achieve the best possible individual and collective outcomes.”
GB take on Turkey, Montenegro and Lithuania in Chemnitz after securing promotion to Division A of the European Championships last summer.
Steutel led TN’s men to NBL Division One title glory in 2017 and is widely regarded as one of the most talented coaches of his generation.
The Liverpool-born playcaller’s reputation for identifying and nurturing talent suggests a return to the GB ranks was long overdue.
The under-20s tip off their European Championship campaign on July 14 against Turkey with the round of 16 matches then starting on July 18.