Randy Wiel, de Curaçaose basketballer en coach die de jonge Michael Jordan trainde, is op 74 jarige leeftijd overleden. Wiel speelde 53 interlands voor Nederland en behaalde als speler een historische vierde plek op het EK van 1983.
Internationaal maakte Wiel naam bij de University of North Carolina, eerst als speler en later als assistent en hoofdcoach, waar hij Jordan onder zijn hoede had. Ook coachte hij teams in Nederland en was hij van 1991 tot 1993 bondscoach van de Nederlandse mannen.
Zelfs na zijn actieve loopbaan bleef Wiel betrokken bij het basketbal, als mentor en talentontwikkelaar.
In januari 2013 kreeg Wiel onverwachts een hartstilstand als gevolg van hoge bloeddruk en lag enkele dagen in coma. “Je leert het leven beter te waarderen. Je moet heel voorzichtig met je lichaam omgaan en niet denken dat er niks met je kan gebeuren. Dat kan wel. Je denkt niet na over je sterfelijkheid, maar die is er wel”, aldus Wiel in 2013 tegen Rijnmond Nieuws.
Zijn nalatenschap leeft voort in de vele spelers en coaches die hij inspireerde. Wiel wordt herinnerd als een bruggenbouwer tussen de Amerikaanse en Nederlandse basketbal cultuur en als iemand die een blijvende indruk achterliet op zowel nationale als internationale sterren.
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Derrick Overman
In Memory of Coach Randy Wiel
Today, I want to share some memories of Coach Randy Wiel. A great coach, a man of humor, integrity, and courage.
He was tough when needed, kind when it mattered, and always true to himself.
Above all, he was a friend.
“Derrick, do you know what a friend is?”
That was the first thing Coach Randy Wiel asked me when he returned to the Netherlands in 2004, after being appointed Head Coach of EiffelTowers Nijmegen.
I said yes.
He smiled and continued:
“You’re the team manager, so we’ll be working closely together. There will be people trying to saw off the legs of my chair, so you’ll need to protect me. That’s what a friend does.”
That conversation happened in the van from the airport to Nijmegen. Among the five of us was the powerful chairman of the main sponsor, a sign that EiffelTowers had landed a big fish. Ironically, five years later, that same man would be responsible for ending Coach Wiel’s tenure.
The first season didn’t go as expected. Young players struggled living overseas. Stability came with the arrival of Tar Heel Derrick Phelps and assistant coach Walter Davis (RIP), both brought in through the influence of legendary Coach Dean Smith, who still looked after his former players. When Coach Smith called, the world stopped; He always picked up.
After the move to Den Bosch in 2005, Coach Wiel stayed on as head coach. Under his leadership, Den Bosch won back-to-back national titles (2005–2006 & 2006–2007) and even defeated Real Madrid in European play. That win sparked wild dreams in the chairman’s mind, even talk of “winning the Champions League.” Things would turn out differently.
Coach Wiel was a very approachable man. He never avoided confrontation. Not with fans, not in so-called opposition meetings and always welcomed honest discussion. He had a great sense of humor and a sharp, dry wit.
Ask him how he was doing, and he’d say: “Medium.”
If something didn’t go his way and you said “I thought…”, he’d shoot back with: “Then you thought wrong.”
And if he couldn’t recall your name? “Hey, slice.”
He was also fearless and principled. Once, he told the business partner of the chairman straight to his face:
> “You pretend to care about people. You wear suits and think that makes it true — but you have no ethics.”
That was Coach Wiel — honest, direct, and unafraid to speak truth to power.
Despite his success, it was never an easy marriage in Den Bosch. Some fans criticized everything, how he stood, when he called timeouts, even what he said during games. Still, in 2007–2008 he led the team to the NBB Cup.
In late 2008, results became inconsistent. After a disappointing holiday tournament, on January 2, 2009, Coach Wiel was “relieved of his duties.” The official reason: “lack of progress.”
Even after leaving Den Bosch, Coach and I stayed in touch. After he returned to the U.S., we still talked on birthdays, during the holidays, and whenever something big happened in the basketball world.
I always messaged him right after midnight. He loved that and would reply:
> “Hi there, Derrick. You’re the first one today! Thank you very much. I’m just heading to bed here. You are a good friend.”
And on my birthday, he’d write:
> “Happy birthday, Derrick, and many more. Have a great day, my friend.”
“Do you know what a friend is?” — that was the first question he ever asked me.
I’m grateful I could be your friend, Coach. ❤️
With respect and gratitude,
Derrick
Michael
Van grote betekenis geweest voor het basketbal. Fantastisch dat hij zo’n grootheid heft mogen trainen als Michael Johnson.
Naar hem zou zeker een Kaya genoemd mogen worden,
jav hay
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