South East Melbourne sack coach Mike Kelly after horror start to NBL season

Mike Kelly’s fate was sealed in the hours after South East Melbourne’s latest loss after Phoenix powerbrokers searched for some change in the game against the Bullets. So what’s next?

Axed South East Melbourne coach Mike Kelly’s fate was sealed in the hours after the Phoenix’s gut-wrenching two-point loss to Brisbane.

Club powerbrokers went into Saturday night’s game against the then-winless Bullets expecting to see on-court change which would hopefully result in their first win of the season.

Kelly shook up the starting line-up, shifting struggling star Nathan Sobey to the bench in a bid to revive the season. But the two-point loss was the trigger point after an accumulation of poor play and an inability to get the best out of a highly-rated group that left the Phoenix winless in five starts this season.

Players were on a day off Sunday when Kelly met with Phoenix chief executive Tommy Greer and general manager of basketball operations Simon Mitchell at the club’s State Basketball Centre base and was delivered the news.

Mike Kelly has been axed as Phoenix coach. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

Multiple sources told Code Sports Kelly carried himself with grace and professionalism as pressure built and in the hours after he lost his job.

Assistant coach and long-time close friend Sam Mackinnon has been installed as South East Melbourne’s interim coach.

Mackinnon spoke with Kelly and reached out to staff and players on Sunday.

He told Crosscourt Kelly was more interested in providing encouragement as he took on the interim role.

“The thing about Mike, he’s a great human being, and I spoke with him this morning, I’m trying to talk to him about him and what had happened and he’s already wishing me all the best,” Mackinnon said.

“I told him if he hadn’t have advocated for me to be his assistant, I don’t think I’d be in the NBL right now.

“He used to pick me up as a 16-year-old kid going to (South East Melbourne Magic) training and now I’ve been an assistant coach under him and now taken over from him.

“He cares deeply for everyone, all his players and his staff and you just want to return the favour and do a good job for what he’s done for me.”

Sam Mackinnon will take over. Picture: Matt Roberts/Getty Images

Mackinnon said discussions with players were largely professional, the squad confident it can turn around the horror start.

“This group’s a really good group and I think it was really apparent they all want to win,” Mackinnon said.

“I think they’re professionals and they’re probably, upon reflection, looking at themselves a little bit.

“There was lots of ‘let’s f***ing go’ and ‘let’s trust in each other’, they were all really positive and now I’ve got to lead them and I know I can do that.”

Mackinnon will be thrown straight into the fire, with a prime time Sunday afternoon Throwdown against cross-town rivals Melbourne United — a team which played off in last season’s grand final and on the Phoenix hasn’t beaten in their past six meetings, the last win coming in December 2022.

“Why not, hey?” Mackinnon said, when the mammoth task is mentioned.

“It’s my job to get the group up, it’s another long week of prep for the game, so your mind starts to switch to how can we get the guys up and ready to play United but also not cook them in the process.”

Mackinnon is treating the interim job as an audition for the permanent role as the Phoenix begin the process of identifying potential candidates.

Originally published as South East Melbourne sack coach Mike Kelly after horror start to NBL season