Why young Melbourne United genius Jacob Chance is a Boomers’ coach-in-waiting

He’s the self-confessed “control freak” who just led the Boomers to back-to-back 50-point wins. Rising coaching star Jacob Chance’s focus is now on Melbourne United and masterminding Perth Wildcats NBL semi-final downfall.

Melbourne United’s self-confessed “control freak” Jacob Chance is back from the Boomers and ready for Bryce Cotton.

The rising coach is planning ways to stop the Perth Wildcats and their superstar scorer.

Fresh from leading the national men’s team to wins over Thailand and Indonesia in Asia Cup qualifiers, Chance is locked in on United’s fortunes before their NBL semi-final tips off on Thursday night.

United coach Dean Vickerman was supportive of his workhorse assistant’s national team stint, insisting the club’s ideas man focussed on the Boomers while in camp.

“Deano, (assistants) Rhys (Carter) and (David) Barlow are really good, I’m the one who is the problem,” Chance said when asked if he had been able to pull back from his United duties.

“I’m more the control freak. It’s been a big part of my growth the last couple years.

“I’ve been very open about it with Deano about letting go of stuff.

Jacob Chance led the Boomers to back-to-back 50-point wins during Asia Cup qualifying. Picture: Getty Images

“Deano’s the best collaborator in our league and how he leads our program and it’s something that I will take forward for the rest of my career.”

The 31-year-old’s focus has quickly shifted back to Perth and helping United advance in the finals.

“They’re a super-talented team across the board and they’ve had a great couple of years under (coach) JR (John Rillie), but I’m excited for the plans we’ve put in place,” Chance said.

“It’s going to be a battle for three games – or hopefully two, if we can get it done quicker.”

Getting it done quicker isn’t as crazy as it sounds when you look at United’s record against the Wildcats – 17-5 since December 2019 – and the success it has had keeping five-time MVP Cotton under control.

Jacob Chance has a steely focus on taking down Perth as Melbourne United’s assistant coach. Picture: Supplied/MU Media

“Bryce is the key and a big part of it but (Kristian) Doolittle and (Dylan) Windler are great imports, and then they have a good Aussie local contingent,” Chance said.

“Bryce brings this sense of gravity but we’ve done a pretty good job of guarding him in the last couple years since I’ve been here and we’ll back in our schemes and our personnel to do that again.”

Reigning back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year Shea Ili is United’s “Cotton Stopper” but Chance said there was far more to it than that when it came to a player who averaged a modern 40-minute era record 28.5 points per game and poured in 40 or more six times in NBL25.

“We don’t put all that onus on ‘Shil’ because you can’t guard Bryce with one person,” Chance said.

The duel between United’s Shea Ili and Perth’s Bryce Cotton looms as a decisive one in the semi-final series. Picture: Getty Images

“Shea does as good a job as anyone but it really does need the attention of everyone on the floor.

“The biggest thing with Perth is limiting easy points … it’s what are you willing to live with and how well you can keep them off the foul line, keep them out of transition and keep them off the glass.

“Bryce is going to score but it’s what those points look like and how hard he’s having to work over the course of quarters and games.”

Chance was part of the Wildcats’ coaching staff through four NBL titles from 2016-21 and spent two years at Tasmania before he was poached by United.

The colours are quickly absorbed.

“I’m probably loyal to a fault,’’ Chance said.

“I’m in Melbourne, I see blue and I see nothing else.”

Originally published as Why young Melbourne United genius Jacob Chance is a Boomers’ coach-in-waiting