Shannon Seebohm

Australian basketball coach (born 1988)

Shannon SeebohmTownsville Fire

Position| Head coach
League| WNBL
Personal information
Born|  (1988-02-01) 1 February 1988 (age 37)
Millicent, South Australia
Listed height| 190 cm (6 ft 3 in)
Career information
Playing career| 2006–2009
Position| Guard
Coaching career| 2011–present
Career history
As a player:
2006–2007| Australian Institute of Sport
2007–2008| South Dragons
2009| Mount Gambier Pioneers
As a coach:
2011–2014| Sydney Kings (assistant)
2014| Hornsby Spiders
2014–2016| Sydney Uni Flames
2017| Norths Bears
2018–2019| Newcastle Hunters
2019–present| Townsville Fire
2021–2022| Townsville Flames
Career highlights

* WNBL champion (2023)
* NBL1 North champion (2022)
* 2× Waratah League champion (2014, 2019)
* 5× WNBL Coach of the Year (2015, 2020, 2023, 2024, 2025)
* 2× NBL1 North Coach of the Year (2021, 2022)

Shannon James Seebohm (born 1 February 1988) is an Australian basketball coach and former player who currently serves as head coach of the Townsville Fire of the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL). He had a brief playing career, featuring in the South East Australian Basketball League and National Basketball League. He spent a season with the South Dragons and represented Australia in junior national teams in 2006 and 2007. Transitioning to coaching in 2011, he was appointed head coach of the Sydney Uni Flames in 2014, where he earned WNBL Coach of the Year honours in his debut season. Seebohm joined the Fire in 2019, securing four additional Coach of the Year awards and leading the team to the WNBL championship in 2023.

## Early life

[edit]

Seebohm was born in Millicent, South Australia.[1]

## Playing career

[edit]

### SEABL and NBL

[edit]

Seebohm attended the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in Canberra in 2006 and 2007,[2] and he played for the AIS men's basketball team in the South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL).[3]

Seebohm joined the South Dragons of the National Basketball League (NBL) as a development player for the 2007–08 season. In December 2007, while training at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre, he collapsed and required CPR to be revived. He was rushed to the hospital, placed into an induced coma, and later underwent surgery to stabilise his heartbeat.[4][5][6][7] Although he had appeared in three games with the Dragons,[7][8] he never returned to play in the NBL after his recovery.[9][10]

In 2009, Seebohm returned to the SEABL where he played in 20 games for the Mount Gambier Pioneers.[3]

### National team

[edit]

In 2006, Seebohm played for the Australian Emus at the Albert Schweitzer Tournament in Germany, the William Jones Cup in Taiwan, and the FIBA Oceania Under-19 Championship in Australia.[11]

In 2007, Seebohm played for Australia at the FIBA Under-19 World Championship in Serbia. He averaged 7.1 points and 2.2 rebounds in nine games.[12]

## Coaching career

[edit]

### NBL and WNBL

[edit]

Seebohm made his coaching debut in 2011 as an assistant coach with the Sydney Kings of the NBL. He spent three seasons in that role[13] under head coach Shane Heal.[9]

In July 2014, Seebohm was appointed head coach of the Sydney Uni Flames of the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL).[14] He led the Flames to the semi-finals in the 2014–15 season and was subsequently named WNBL Coach of the Year.[15] He left the Flames following the 2015–16 season.[13]

In June 2019, Seebohm was appointed head coach of the Townsville Fire of the WNBL on a three-year deal.[16] In the 2019–20 WNBL season, the Fire finished at the bottom of the ladder.[17]

In the 2020 WNBL Hub season in Queensland, Seebohm led the Fire to second position on the ladder and was subsequently named WNBL Coach of the Year for the second time.[18] The Fire reached the grand final, where they lost 99–82 to the Southside Flyers.[19]

In December 2020, Seebohm extended his contract with the Fire for an extra two seasons.[20]

In the 2022–23 WNBL season, Seebohm led the Fire to the WNBL championship behind a 16-game winning streak,[21] as he was named Coach of the Year for the third time.[22]

In August 2023, Seebohm signed a three-year contract extension with the Fire.[23]

In the 2023–24 WNBL season, the Fire finished in first place but lost to the Perth Lynx in the semi-finals.[24] He was named WNBL Coach of the Year for the fourth time.[25]

In the 2024–25 WNBL season, Seebohm secured his fifth Coach of the Year award, surpassing Tom Maher for most Coach of the Year titles in WNBL history.[26] The Fire reached the grand final series, where they lost 2–0 to the Bendigo Spirit.[27]

### State leagues

[edit]

In 2014, Seebohm coached the Hornsby Spiders women's team of the Waratah League to the championship.[28] He had coached at the club for around three and a half years when in 2015 he was promoted as the head coach of the National Intensive Training Program, which scouts talent for Basketball New South Wales.[29]

In 2017, Seebohm coached the Norths Bears women's team to a runner-up finish in the Waratah League.[30]

Seebohm joined the Newcastle Hunters women's team as head coach in 2018.[31] He also served as Newcastle Basketball's director of coaching.[32] He led the Hunters to the Waratah League championship in 2019.[33]

In December 2020, Seebohm was appointed head coach of the Townsville Flames of the NBL1 North for the 2021 season.[34] He was named the NBL1 North Women's Coach of the Year after leading the Flames to a top-three finish.[35] He was re-appointed Flames coach in November 2021,[36] and went on to win his second straight NBL1 North Women's Coach of the Year in the 2022 season.[37]

### National teams

[edit]

In March 2015, Seebohm was appointed head coach of the Australia women's national under-17 basketball team, the Sapphires.[15] He led the Sapphires to the gold medal at the 2016 FIBA Under-17 World Championship and the bronze medal at the 2018 FIBA Under-17 World Cup.[16]

In 2019, Seebohm served as head coach of the Australian women's team at the World University Games,[16] where he guided the Emerging Opals to victory, defeating the USA in the gold medal match 80–72.[38]

Seebohm served as caretaker coach of the Australian Opals at the 2023 FIBA Women's Asia Cup in the absence of Sandy Brondello,[39] where the team won bronze.[40] He re-joined the Opals as assistant coach for the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifiers in Brazil[41] and the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.[42]

## Personal life

[edit]

Seebohm's father, Peter, played basketball in South Australia and is well known in the state's south east.[9] His sister Kate also played basketball and was coached by Seebohm at the Norths Bears.[30]

Seebohm's wife Jaimee (née Kennedy)[43] is also a basketball player, with the couple having been a husband-wife, coach-player duo multiple times.[44] They met as 18-year-olds at the Australian Institute of Sport.[44] Jaimee gave birth to the couple's first child in March 2015.[9]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Shannon Seebohm". fiba.com. Archived from the original on 17 May 2015. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
2. ^ "Past Athletes". ausport.gov.au. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
3. ^ a b "Shannon Seebohm - Player Statistics SEABL 2009". GameDay. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
4. ^ "Basketball: Rookie collapses, in coma". NZ Herald. 6 December 2007. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
5. ^ "Dragons rookie out of coma - Basketball News". NZ Herald. 7 December 2007. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
6. ^ "Dragons rookie to stay in hospital". The Age. 10 December 2007. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
7. ^ a b Howell, Stephen (14 December 2007). "Surgery for Dragon after lucky escape". The Age. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
8. ^ "Shannon Seebohm - Player Statistics NBL 2008". GameDay. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
9. ^ a b c d Nagy, Boti (27 March 2015). "Shannon Seebohm beat death and all the odds on his way to being the WNBL Coach of the Year". adelaidenow.com.au. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
10. ^ Hustwaite, Megan (5 March 2023). "How heartbreak turned to opportunity for Fire's Shannon Seebohm". ESPN.com. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
11. ^ "Basketball Australia Annual Report 2006" (PDF). ausport.gov.au. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 March 2012. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
12. ^ "Shannon James Seebohm (Australia) - Basketball Stats, Height, Age | FIBA Basketball". www.fiba.basketball. 22 February 2025. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
13. ^ a b "Shannon Seebohm". Closer Sport. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
14. ^ "WTF (2) - Flames name Shannon". botinagy.com. 18 July 2014. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
15. ^ a b "Seebohm appointed as Sapphires coach". www.australia.basketball. 30 March 2015. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
16. ^ a b c "The Townsville Fire's new era has officially launched with the signing of new Head Coach". Townsville Fire. 14 June 2019. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
17. ^ Wright, Nick (21 July 2020). "Past experiences builds Seebohm's Townsville Fire squad". townsvillebulletin.com.au. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
18. ^ "STEPH TALBOT NAMED 2020 CHEMIST WAREHOUSE WNBL MVP". WNBL. 14 December 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
19. ^ "Southside Flyers subdue plucky Townsville Fire to claim WNBL championship". ABC News. 20 December 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
20. ^ "JCU Townsville Fire Extend Head Coach Shannon Seebohm Until End Of 2024 Season". Townsville Fire. 10 December 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
21. ^ "JCU TOWNSVILLE FIRE CROWNED WNBL CHAMPIONS". WNBL. 22 March 2023. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
22. ^ "Cayla George Named MVP at WNBL Awards Night". WNBL. 5 March 2023. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
23. ^ "Seebohm signs 3 year contract extension". Townsville Fire. 8 August 2023. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
24. ^ "Lynx defeat Fire to reach WNBL decider". ESPN.com. 3 March 2024. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
25. ^ "WNBL 2023/24 AWARDS". WNBL. 25 February 2024. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
26. ^ "A Night of Celebration: WNBL's 2024/25 Award Winners Revealed". WNBL. 18 February 2025. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
27. ^ "Champions! Whitcomb's Spirit sweep Townsville to break WNBL title drought | Basketball.com.au". www.basketball.com.au. 9 March 2025. Retrieved 9 March 2025.
28. ^ "WNBL is back in Nowra". www.southcoastregister.com.au. 23 September 2014. Retrieved 22 February 2025. "The Bryden's Sydney Uni Flames have also made some major changes in the off season with the signing of a new coach Shannon Seebohm who has just topped off a terrific season in the NSW Waratah league winning the Women's Championship with the Hornsby Spiders..."
29. ^ Nicastri, Danielle (14 October 2015). "Hornsby Spiders Basketball Club former coach Shannon Seebohm talent scout for Basketball NSW". dailytelegraph.com.au. Retrieved 22 February 2025. "Once at the Hornsby Spiders Basketball Club for around three and a half years, Seebohm has been promoted as the head coach of the National Intensive Training Program, which scouts talent for Basketball NSW."
30. ^ a b Keeble, Brett (31 May 2019). "Rivals take aim at Hunters". www.newcastleherald.com.au. Retrieved 22 February 2025. "Seebohm coached Norths in 2017, when the Bears were runners-up to Manly, and his sister Kate is one of several stars still on their roster."
31. ^ Keeble, Brett (18 May 2018). "Hunters set sights on fifth straight win". www.newcastleherald.com.au. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
32. ^ "Hunters coach Shannon Seebohm catches Fire". www.newcastleherald.com.au. 13 June 2019. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
33. ^ Keeble, Brett (19 August 2019). "Hunters save best for last to win championship". www.newcastleherald.com.au. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
34. ^ "Seebohm to Lead the Flames in NBL1". Townsville Basketball. 22 December 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
35. ^ "George and Kendle win NBL1 North MVPs". nbl1.com.au. 9 September 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
36. ^ "NBL1 North Women's Coach of the Year reappointed". nbl1.com.au. 19 November 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
37. ^ "Congratulations to Shannon Seebohm (Townsville Basketball) on taking home the NBL1 North Women's Coach of the Year". facebook.com/basketballqld. 10 August 2022. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
38. ^ "Back-to-back gold for Emerging Opals". unisport.com.au. 10 July 2019. Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
39. ^ "Why the Opals are heading to the Women's Basketball Asia Cup closer than ever". ABC News. 23 June 2023. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
40. ^ "Opals take bronze as China claim Asia Cup". ESPN.com. 2 July 2023. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
41. ^ "Opals Squad Announced for Brazil". www.australia.basketball. 12 November 2023. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
42. ^ "Australian teams for Paris 2024 Olympics announced". www.australia.basketball. 7 June 2024. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
43. ^ Keeble, Brett (19 August 2019). "Jaimee Seebohm's Newcastle Hunters save best for last to win championship". www.southcoastregister.com.au. Retrieved 22 February 2025. "THE Newcastle Hunters, featuring Shoalhaven product Jaimee Seebohm (nee Kennedy)..."
44. ^ a b Wright, Nick (30 July 2021). "Baby champ and home video sessions: Inside the Seebohm's title charge". townsvillebulletin.com.au. Retrieved 22 February 2025.

## External links

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* Shannon Seebohm at FIBA
* Closer Sport profile
* Australiabasket.com player profile
* Australiabasket.com coach profile