NBL1 Women's Illawarra Hawks Head Coach

We are thrilled to announce the appointment of Tom Cranney as the Head Coach for our NBL1 Women's team for the 2026 season. Cranney brings a wealth of knowledge and experience, returning for his third season at the helm of our NBL1 Women’s program after a short absence, having previously led the Hawks in their inaugural 2022 NBL1 East campaign and the 2023 season, laying a strong foundation for the program's growth.

Since his last stint with the NBL1 Women, Cranney has continued to build an impressive coaching résumé. In 2025, he served as an Assistant Coach for the Illawarra Hawks NBL1 Men’s side, helping that squad reach the NBL1 East conference grand final. He was also an Assistant Coach on the Illawarra Hawks’ championship-winning 2024/25 NBL season as part of head coach Justin Tatum’s staff, gaining invaluable experience at the national league level.

Cranney’s coaching journey spans all levels of the sport. A proud product of the NSW Country basketball pathway, he has mentored multiple junior representative teams in Illawarra and even coached at the school level with programs like Waverley College. His dual exposure to both youth development and elite competition ensures he brings elite insight, structure, and competitive expectations to our women’s program, aligning perfectly with the club’s focus on player development.

On returning to the head coach role, Tom Cranney said, “I am very excited to be back with the team. I have learned a lot over the past few years working with great coaches in successful programs in the NBL and NSW Country, and I look forward to bringing that experience to the team this season. We have a great young group to build around and I look forward to advancing the pathway and connection between the NBL1 program, Youth League and U18s in Illawarra.”

We are excited to see Tom bring his experience, energy, and vision back to our NBL1 Women’s program, and we look forward to a successful 2026 season under his leadership.