BASKETBALL
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Former Hawks coach Gordie McLeod is loving life in Queensland's tropical north and hasn't dwelled on his controversial exit from Wollongong.
McLeod signed on as an assistant coach of the Cairns Taipans last month after ending his six-year tenure with the Hawks in mid-June.
A two-time recipient of the NBL Coach of the Year award, McLeod had hoped to stay with Illawarra indefinitely.
But the 58-year-old dropped a bombshell when he rejected the club's offer to continue coaching in the 2015-16 NBL season, claiming he no longer felt "that my values and those of the club are in alignment".
Illawarra signed former Perth coach Rob Beveridge to replace McLeod, who wondered if his days in the NBL were over. But Cairns coach Aaron Fearne was a long-time admirer of McLeod's style and invited him to join the Taipans.
"I'm rapt," McLeod said.
"I'd sort of felt that I was going to have to go and do something else outside of the NBL, but as it worked out, this opportunity came up and I just jumped at it.
"I'd known Aaron and spoken to him a fair bit in past off-seasons about what we did overseas in regards to recruiting players, because we had similar budgets to work with. He helped with a lot of contacts and different people, and having that relationship has helped me in being able to stay in the league.
"It's a completely new challenge and a completely new environment, but all of that is really exciting. I'm excited I'm doing something I really enjoy, and I've gone to a club that has similar challenges to the club I was at the last six years."
Born and bred in Wollongong, McLeod was a foundation player with the Hawks in 1979 and played nine seasons with the club.
He coached at various levels for almost 20 years before returning to his home town in 2009 after securing his dream job with the Hawks. While McLeod was privately angry about his departure from the Hawks, he has maintained a dignified public stance.
"You're disappointed for all the things that have happened, you're disappointed for all the people around town who put their heart and soul in it and it didn't work out," he said.
"I guess the positive is that there's a team for the area, and now it's about trying to make it work. People that have been affected in the past have to heal the wounds and work out what they're going to do."
McLeod says he's looking forward to the Taipans' road trips to Wollongong.
"It'll be good to get back to see friends and family, and obviously with regards to the work environment, we'll be preparing as best as possible to go down there and win," he said. "Of course it'll be a little strange at first, but you're a professional in what you do. Part of your journey as a player or coach in our industry is that often you have to leave your home. I've done that on the start of my journey and now I've had to do it towards the end of my journey, but if you want to stay involved, that's what you do."