Rockhampton Basketball locks in NBL1 North coaching group through 2028 on two-year deals

Rockhampton Basketball Incorporated (RBI) has locked in its NBL1 North coaching group for the next two seasons, appointing Hayden Morris as Head Coach of the Fitzroy Towing and Transport Rockets and re-signing Drew Fenton as Head Coach of the CQUniversity Cyclones through to the end of 2028.

The double announcement locks in leadership across both club’s NBL1 North programs through to 2028, giving RBI a settled coaching structure to plan recruitment, junior pathways and club culture over consecutive seasons rather than year-to-year.

Jordan Gregurke, General Manager at Rockhampton Basketball Incorporated, said locking in both coaches and for two-year deals was deliberate.

"Locking in two years of certainty means Hayden and Drew aren't rebuilding from scratch every season. It gives both programs time to build squads and culture, and shows our community we're planning with a clear, longer-term direction,” Gregurke said.

"We spoke with a number of strong candidates for the Rockets and Hayden stood out. He has worked in and around elite environments at NBL and national team level, but he has also built junior programs from the ground up. That combination of high performance at NBL level and junior development is a mix that supports our whole organisation.

"Drew gave opportunities to our Juniors in 2026 and we saw fantastic growth in the back end of last season. This combined with a two-year deal gives Drew and our Cyclones team an exciting opportunity for success in the coming seasons.”

Hayden Morris arrives from Melbourne with more than 10 years across junior and senior programs. He is currently a Development Coach with National Basketball League club South East Melbourne Phoenix and an Assistant Coach with Knox Basketball in the NBL1 Men's competition. His resume also includes support staff roles with the Australian Boomers across Olympic and World Cup Qualifier campaigns.

He has also coached at the top end of junior basketball in Victoria, leading U18 Men to gold at both the National Junior Classic and the Victorian Championships in 2025. He has also guided teams to bronze at the 2024 Foot Locker National Championships and to multiple Victorian Championship medals across U14 and U16 age groups.

Morris said the coaching opportunity and the club's community was what drew him north.

“I was excited when the opportunity presented itself to be a Head Coach in Rockhampton and to get the chance to build something from the ground up,” Morris said.

“I spoke to a lot of people who I trust and who I hold in high regard about taking up this position and hearing about the basketball community in Rockhampton is what got me over the line.

“The benefit of being here for two years is continuity and the backing of Rockhampton Basketball to implement the vision I have for the team. It also gives me more time to connect with the community and more time to build relationships locally and I’m really looking forward to it.

“My coaching style is energetic and player focused. I enjoy getting the best of the players who I work with. We want to be an ‘in your face’ team and adding the awesome crowd and atmosphere on game nights, playing hard will be expected of us.”

Before arriving in Rockhampton, Drew Fenton spent six years as a head coach with NSW Country Women state teams at U16 and U18 level, led the Central Coast Academy of Sport basketball program, and worked as Director of Player Development and Coaching with Illinois Magic in Chicago, where his group finished second at the 2018 AAU National Championships. He has also held head coach roles with U20 Queensland Women and the BQ State Performance Program in Central Queensland.

He has led the Cyclones since 2022 and has been the club's Player and Coach Development Manager since 2021. He guided the Cyclones to the NBL1 North championship in 2024, was named NBL1 North Coach of the Year in 2023 and was a finalist for the same award in 2024.

Fenton said he was happy to continue with a playing group he has built over five seasons.

“The decision to sign back on for another two years is based on what we have been building. In 2026, we spent a lot of time in ensuring our juniors got experience playing at an NBL1 level and it means we don’t have to bring as many players from outside of Rockhampton,” Fenton said.

“A two-year deal is the first one that I have received in Rockhampton, and it gives me and the team continuity in what we are trying to build here as a club. Getting this process done a lot earlier makes our team a more attractive place and easier to recruit players.

“We want to win championships and that is what we are here for. We will be ready to roll when the next season comes.”

2027 NBL1 North fixture and membership details will be released in the coming months.