Petrik agrees to three more years with Flames

Rockingham Flames men’s coach Ryan Petrik has put pen to paper on a new three-year deal to remain at the club until the end of the 2023 NBL1 West season.

Petrik, a two-time women’s SBL championship-winning coach, took charge of the club’s men’s program in 2019 and was recently announced as head coach of the Perth Lynx WNBL team following a five-year stint as assistant to Andy Stewart.

In his first season with the Flames men’s team, Petrik led the side to a fourth-place 18–8 regular season finish and a quarter-final appearance. He returned to coach the Flames men in 2020 for the West Coast Classic.

Petrik said the one condition he set in accepting the Lynx job was being able to continue his role with the Flames, not only because of his attachment to his hometown club, but also the affection he has for the current crop of players and having not yet achieved his dream of bringing a men’s title banner to hang in Mike Barnett Sports Complex.

“It was the one thing Basketball WA asked me when they wanted me to be the Lynx coach was what conditions I had, and I said, fine, I still want to be able to coach the Rocko guys,” Petrik said.

“I love that group of guys and I have loved that (men’s) program since I was 10 or 11 years of age. I didn’t leave the girls set-up for a short-term deal with the men, I’m in for the long haul. Winning a championship for the men’s team is my white whale. I could win 100 elsewhere, but winning one with the Rocko men’s program is everything to me.

“I’ve been at the club since I was nine years old. All of the guys who have played for the club, like Travis Moore and all those boys that the club means the world to – and I know how important winning those championships was to the women, especially the likes of Kaye Tucker and I’m not diminishing those in any way because they meant a lot to me too – have never been good enough to get it done in the men’s in Rockingham. That’s my white whale.”

Petrik also spoke about his surprise and honour at being bestowed with Life Membership to the Flames at the club’s 2020 Annual General Meeting and said while he was ‘humbled and very appreciative’ of the honour he was still looking forward.

“There are a ton of people who have been at the club, that have and haven’t been made life members who I respect the hell out of, but I still have bigger fish to fry,” he said.

“It’s a little bit weird in the sense I’m still involved with the club and see myself involved for the foreseeable future, so yes I’m very appreciative of the honour but I’m not finished yet. Life membership, whether for playing or coaching or admin, is usually something that is given at the end of the journey.

“Clearly I’m still here and will be for a while to come, if I have anything to say about it at least. I’m not about to retire anytime soon. I have more things to accomplish.”