Kaz Irwin: The Right Person For This Crusade

Image Credit: @robshots

After wrapping the Mitsubishi Motors NBL1 East 2025 season with a league-worst 1-19 record, their worst season to date, the Central Coast Crusaders women’s program was at a crossroads. 

Being decimated by injuries throughout the year didn’t help. The load on players like former Opal Leilani Mitchell and local junior Elizajane ‘Muffy’ Loader to play 40 minutes of basketball was apparent to anyone watching a Crusaders game.

Not only that, but a culture was starting to fester that wasn’t what reflected the status of a proud country club like the Central Coast Crusaders.

THE REBUILD BEGINS

So as the season concluded and Head Coach Rachel Maenpaa vacated her seat, the search for the next coach began. 

Little did they know the perfect person for the job was right under their noses the whole time in Central Coast Referee Development Officer and Director of Coaching, Kaz Irwin.

It took a phone call from a coach who was approached for the job to say, ‘Why don’t you just ask Kaz to do it?’ for the idea to be seriously considered by Crusaders decision makers, and even Irwin herself.

“I wasn't going to put my hand up to start with because obviously they're looking in a different direction. But then I got asked if I would consider it and I decided it was something that I would like to do,” Irwin said.

“I'm very honoured (that the coach put her name up) and I have a good relationship with that person. He actually rang me and said, ‘What are you doing? Put your hand up!’”

Irwin was announced as the Head Coach of the Crusaders in late October 2025 and she was off. It was not lost on Irwin that this was a rebuild she was signing up for, and she was more than ready for the challenge. She knew exactly where to start.

Image: @robshots

KNOWING WHERE TO START

“The first thing was the culture, on and off the court. Just as an outsider, it was toxic and you could see what was going on. So I think the biggest thing was that the culture had to change first for these girls, these young ladies, to understand what a rebuild is and why we're doing it, and just to get the buy-in,” Irwin said.

Any rebuild needs not only a core of up-and-coming youngsters, but veterans who are prepared to take the lumps alongside them and be mentors just as much as basketball players.

These players don’t have to be volume scorers, rebounding monsters or players who are going to fill up the box score, but players that see the vision and drive it throughout the squad.

Irwin says she was transparent about what these players were signing up for when in contract discussions.

“I was very open with everyone that we spoke to about two things. One was our budget because we definitely had the smallest budget in the league for 2026, and the other was why we're doing the rebuild and what the expectations were. We needed them to understand that it wasn't about winning. It was about what we could build and achieve in year one.”

One of these players was Hills Hornets captain, Nikki Worner. A Canberra native, Worner is a former D1 college athlete and was a Development Player for the Canberra Capitals in the 2024/25 WNBL season.

Worner says Irwin was a massive factor in her decision to relocate to the Central Coast after spending the 2025 season driving back and forth between Canberra and Sydney to play for the Hornets.

“I was looking for a place where I could really grow, and that often comes with having the opportunity to make mistakes and learn from them. From the conversations we had before I signed, I could tell how much she genuinely cares about the people involved, not just their role on the court,” Worner said.

“We spoke a lot about failing forward and embracing what was always going to be a challenging year. There was something really exciting about building culture and confidence with a young group, especially with such a strong focus on local players.” 

Irwin praises her “four older players” in Worner, Tristan Black, Darneka Rowe and Bronte Moore for being the right people who were ready and able to buy into her vision and be part of the rebuild on the Central Coast.

Image: @discoveryonephotography

WINS AND LESSONS

Then, of course, there are the younger players in the squad, including Leila Hefferman, Jess Stone, Sophie Prior and more, with Irwin amazed by the fighting spirit they have shown and the trust they have placed in her.

“They trust the reason we're doing this and why we're doing it. I trust them and they trust me that I will look after them and protect them,” Irwin said.

Worner says this trust in Irwin echoes throughout the squad.

“I think one of Kaz’s biggest strengths as a coach is the environment she creates around growth and accountability. Especially in a season that can be seen as a ‘wins and lessons’ year, it’s easy to either let losses weigh on you or fall into a losing mindset. But from the moment I arrived, the focus has always been on progress,” Worner said.

“We’re held to the standards we set every week in training and in games, regardless of the scoreboard. She challenges us to step outside our comfort zone, make mistakes and learn from them, which isn’t always easy as a player. But at the same time, you always know she’s going to back you. That balance of challenge and support is something that really stands out.”

If you're looking for an example of this, you only need to watch Irwin in action. Coaching the Under-14 Girls at the Australian Country Junior Basketball Competition, her refreshing approach was on full display.

Much to the “wins and lessons”, the support has consistently been there throughout the year. Even with some losses to the tune of 60+, Irwin has continued to find a way to keep her squad engaged.

“We look at the small wins, not the scoreboard wins. We look at things like outrebounding Norths in the last quarter, or outscoring Manly in a quarter, and we just keep limiting our turnovers. They're the wins that we look at, so that's what we're focusing on in the change room.

“We also have a Heart and Hustle Award. The players vote on it after each game. It's a chain with a big Crusaders logo on it, and when we hand it over, that person has to do a dance.

“We could have been beaten by 60 points by someone, but the girls still encourage that one person and vote for them. The smiles that are there, it's about them playing for each other. You've just got to do that off-court stuff and do it well so those big floggings don't take their toll.”

Image: @discoveryonephotography

THINGS TRENDING UP

Currently, the Crusaders currently sit 15th at 2-14, with many writing them off to potentially go winless in 2026. Irwin says it has just made those two victories all that much sweeter.

“I was so proud of our squad after those two wins. The first thing I said was that it wasn't just the nine girls who actually played. It was the whole 12 that were sitting on that bench and training each week. They were just as much a part of those wins, and it was really special to see them treasure and enjoy that moment.” 

The success of the rebuild hasn’t just been noticed inside the walls of Guzman y Gomez Stadium, but across the rest of the East.

“I think of the commentators. We go back and watch the games and the support that we've had from them has been incredible because everyone understands that we're in a rebuild.”

“Not even just the commentators, but the amount of support we've had from players and coaches as well. We played games like the one against Sutherland where we pushed them and it was a great game. That was probably one of our best four-quarter performances.

“After the game, Loz Nicholson grabbed me and said, ‘Kaz, keep going. This rebuild is special and these young girls will be a part of NBL1 in the future.’”

It’s this and the love Irwin has for her association and squad that keeps this rebuild trending towards success.

“A rebuild isn't going to happen in a year. In two or three years, that's when we can get into the noughts and crosses a little bit more and really challenge them. But right now, it's all about nurturing them and giving them an experience in an environment where they're probably a little out of their depth,” said Irwin.

“If they can see that we're nurturing them and that it's okay to make mistakes, it's going to make them better players and help our rebuild.”

Image: @robshots