Former Lagos Islanders and Customs player, Seun Akinwale has changed career path as he quits professional basketball for coaching. Atlantic Conference team, Hoops & Read has announced his appointment as Assistant Coach ahead of the 2018 season of the Kwese Premier Basketball League.
Akinwale will support Coach Charles Osho, who took the newly promoted Hoops & Read to the Final Eight Playoffs last season. The club finished overall third behind Kano Pillars and Gombe Bulls.
It is only natural for Akinwale to evolve into that career path having been exposed to coaching for over a decade. He played the assistant role to veteran Coach Adewumi Aderemi with the Sea Rovers Basketball Academy. He also runs his academy - Gripps Breed Basketball Academy. At the No Borders Basketball Camp organised by the Olumide Oyedeji Youth Foundationl, Akinwale was seen paying close attention to Coach Joe Touomou of the NBA Africa Academy Senegal, asking him key questions.
When the opportunity came - with the former Assistant Coach leaving the country, the decision to join Hoops & Read was an easy one for Seun Akinwale.
`Hoops & Read is a well structured team or club with emphasis on education combined with basketball. They have the same message I preach about education. Also because the players are all very young and that`s the category of players I`ve always coached`
The season is expected to tip off next month and the new Assistant Coach is already looking forward to the new experience.
`That you were a great player does not guarantee you becoming a successful coach. So I still have so much to learn. Hoops & Read is good platform for me to express myself and add my wealth of experience as an ex-player and an experienced youth development coach. I also look forward to maintaining the standard that the team already has`
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