Eckhoff began May 1 in a five-month temporary position for Brent Hackman as sports director and Frey on May 15 with a contract in 2023 in a role as coach developer, in a 30 percent position. The experienced coaching duo has already had their first planning meetings.

– We had to bring in a person who could take care of the sporting part, and looked for someone with high competence in the sport and who knows our systems, the national team structure and the principles. One who as soon as possible to get in and make the sporting assessments in the job, says NBBF’s general secretary Espen A. Johansen in a comment on the election of Eckhoff.

– We have a very good dialogue with Mathias and know him as a committed person with many opinions about what we do and many thoughts about development. He gives us extra spices by challenging systems we have, it also fits, says Johansen.

Pilot project

The plan to get a coach developer has been discussed by NBBF for some time, and now Ståle Frey is engaged until 2023 in a 30 percent position, in addition to 10 percent which he shares as an assistant for the senior national team for women and U15 girls.

– The goal was to find a way to get closer to the coaches in the club and create a unit for the principles we want to have. We do this as a pilot project by seeking funding from outside, and have thought of a combination of project funding and own funding. The plan is for Ståle to go out in the fall from early autumn, do the work outside the club and be with the club coaches.

– Clubs can pay a deductible and book him in, the general secretary explains.

Common principles

Mathias Eckhoff will, together with assistant coach Audun Eskeland, lead Norway against Denmark in the group final in the pre-qualification for the European Championships, Sunday 3 July in Jordal Amfi. Now he is also in the role of sports director. – My job will be to look at the overall sporting lines between the national teams. Make sure that the work done matches the stated goals. Help land things. Link a playing style plan and development ladder, look at models. Get into some common principles for the Norwegian national teams.

– We may also be able to establish some forums for the national team coaches. Get it down from the party speaker and into the practical, says the national team manager.

– At the same time, it is very exciting to bring in Ståle as a coach developer. He must help the club coaches and reflect on the challenges they face – look at which exercises are effective, match management. As the job has had in the Olympics, but just a lot more, said Mathias Eckhoff.

– Need more quality

Steel Frey had his last day on the job at the Olympics on March 31, to weeks after returning from the Paralympics in Beijing.

– My passion is to try to develop personal trainers, and I want to take the ballast from 42 years as a coach and to that extent also as a physiotherapist and the six years I have been with the Olympic team. Gaining perspective in the coaching role is very exciting, and I think Norwegian basketball needs more quality. We must get the quality among the coaches for the younger teams, says the 63-year-old who is number 5 on the Nobility Calendar for senior men with 65 international matches.

– I went to the Olympics because I have more passion for basketball, it’s my feeling and I feel I can do a little more there. I am very practical and want to be on the floor with the coaches, not sitting behind the PC, he says.

Can be booked from the autumn

Frey is sports manager in Ullern Basket in a 60 percent position and coaches the women’s team in the Firi league. Then comes 40 percent in NBBF – 30 in the new coach developer role and 10 as an assistant on senior women and U15 girls. The first task now is NTC in Tønsberg the first weekend in June with the U15 players, later this month it is the European Championships for Small Countries in Cyprus with the women’s national team.

– It’s national teams and basketball camps and then a little summer vacation, but from the autumn the club can book me, he says.

Hefty national team program

For NBBF, it is welcome to get in to such strong coach profiles as early as 1 May.

– We are in the middle of the fiercest national team program and in addition we have the European Championship match against Denmark on July 3 and most of our resources tied up in the Denmark match, Espen A. Johansen explains.

At the same time, we have overall and a lot of pressure reached with an extended season at the regional level, so we had no resources to take care of all tasks.