GB Youth team staff, coaches announced following 'combine' - gallery

The British Basketball Federation have confirmed coaching staff for the Great Britain youth teams and a new Programme Manager.

Paul Fournel has been unveiled as the new Youth Teams Programme Manager for Great Britain Basketball and the majority of coaching and support staff for most of the six GB youth teams have also been named.

GB women’s legend Chantelle Handy, who briefly came out of retirement at the end of last year, will continue as the U20 Women’s head coach.

The other head coaches are Krumesh Patel (U18 women), Lance Randall (U20 men), Alan Keane (U18 men) and Dan Petts (U16 men).

Patel has moved into the U18 women’s head coach role after establishing a great programme for the U20 men last year. Keane remains in his role after an excellent performance from the team in 2023.

Petts will lead the U16 men following the experience he has gained as GB U16 assistant coach and through his work in coaching and scouting in the Spanish basketball system, and Lance Randall, head coach at St Leo University in the USA, who has previously worked as assistant coach with the Minnesota Timberwolves, is joining GB Basketball as head coach of the U20 men’s team.

Fournel, who was Team Manager for Limoges CSP Basketball Club for ten years, started his role earlier this month and one of his first tasks was to attend the U16 and U18 GB Combine, which took place at the National Basketball Performance Centre in Manchester on 2 and 3 January.

The combine, which was organised by British Basketball with support from Basketball England, Basketball Scotland and Basketball Wales, was attended by more than 100 young players who were put through their paces by the performance teams. The event was organised to help to identify players for the under-16 and under-18 squads that will represent GB at the European Championships later this year.

Fournel said:

“The Combine was really interesting as a way of developing the new project for GB Basketball because we were able to spend time with the staff, and our players were able to meet each other. We also had a chance to compare the talented players from across the UK.

“It was good to be at the National Basketball Performance Centre in Manchester too because the facilities are great.

“It’s also been a great way for me to meet all of my new colleagues and we have seen that the new GB project is really amazing and we hope it will bring basketball in the UK to the level it must be at in the next year.”

“In the future I hope we will be able to create a great atmosphere for everyone. For the players for sure, but also for the staff and for all people involved like parents, the Federation and for the management.

“From this we hope to get good results and then we want to help everyone develop as players but we also we want to help them to become great adults and human beings too.”

Fiona Pimblett, Consultant Performance Lead for the British Basketball Federation (BBF), said: 

“Following a very competitive recruitment process, we are really excited to announce the performance staff that will lead the Great Britain teams for the 2024 FIBA European Youth Championships.

“The recent Combine reinforced what we already knew – we have some very talented players that are part of the GB Basketball pathway and it’s important that we surround these players with excellent staff who can support and guide them. We are delighted that we have been able to do this.”

There is currently a vacancy for a new U16 women’s head coach after the experienced and established head coach, Lee Davie, has unfortunately stepped down from the role. Recruitment to this vacancy will begin soon and the BBF is looking forward to continuing to work with Lee another capacity in the future.

GB coaches and staff

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* Strength and Conditioning

See pictures of the GB combine in the gallery below