WA Paralympic Legend Takes on WAIS Coaching Role

The Western Australian Institute of Sport is pleased to announce that five-time Paralympian Brad Ness has accepted the position of head coach and will lead the new WAIS Wheelchair Basketball Program from January 4 next year.

Ness captained the Australian Rollers to a gold medal win at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games and was also instrumental in Australia’s 2010 and 2014 world championship title winning teams. He will combine his new role at WAIS alongside his assistant coaching position with the Australian men’s national team, who earlier this year qualified for the 2018 World Championships in Hamburg.

The Wagin raised champion said he was proud to receive the opportunity to lead the first dedicated Paralympic sports program operated at WAIS, with the Wheelchair Basketball Program having been officially launched in late November as the result of a strategic partnership between WAIS and Basketball Australia.

“Wheelchair Basketball has given me so much and I’m just really pleased that I’ll have the opportunity to continue my involvement in the game,” Ness said.

“The facilities and opportunities afforded at WAIS provide an incredible opportunity to help create new generations of Western Australian Paralympic talent. And that’s a calling that I’m particularly passionate about. I can’t wait to get started.”

WAIS CEO Steve Lawrence said it was fitting that the inaugural coach of the WAIS Wheelchair Basketball Program held such a strong reputation in the sport.

“When you think about wheelchair basketball in this state, Brad’s name in invariably the first that comes to mind,” Lawrence said.

“We’re excited to see where he can take the athletes in this squad and he’ll have the support of a network of high performance talent at WAIS to help make it a reality.”