To be able to call himself a championship coach means the world to Mark Utley, but what makes it so special is that he shared it with his family, with his Mandurah Magic team, the City of Mandurah and everyone involved in the community.
There is no story quite like the journey Utley has undertaken to now become a championship coach.
He played 289 games in the league without getting to play in a championship, and then did everything to try and get his teams at Rockingham, Mandurah and the Eastern Suns to being a contender, and was precariously close on occasions.
However, winning a championship wasn’t on the radar when he took back over at the Magic for 2023. Just keeping the organisation afloat was the first goal and the fact that he now has taken Mandurah to a first ever SBL or NBL1 West championship 18 months later is incredible.
For Mandurah to be the NBL1 West champions is incredible as well with the men having never previously reached a Grand Final and the Magic women having their hearts broken getting there six times previously.
It was never going to be easy either to breakthrough, and after scoring the first bucket of the Grand Final at RAC Arena against the Willetton Tigers, the Magic never again led until a Joel Murray bucket with 32 seconds to go.
That then only lasted 11 seconds when Marshall Nelson responded with a three for the Tigers. However, Murray and this Mandurah team under Utley wouldn’t be denied, and made history with the remarkable 91-89 victory in front of a crowd of 6460 people.
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Immediate reaction to championship
Speaking immediately after the Grand Final on Saturday night at RAC Arena, Utley was lost for words and for somebody who admits to having a degree of ADHD, that's not an easy thing to happen.
"It's actually like, I don't know what to do straight after the game. I'm stunned and there's a part that is just relief," Utley said.
"You hear people talk about it in AFL and other sports where they say they feel utter relief, and now I know what they mean.
"The way that game played out, a lot of other people might start to have self-doubt, but I knew that we had another run in us and that's how it panned out."
What it means to Mandurah community
Utley has always prided himself on playing or coaching with that underdog mentality, and of having that drive to prove people wrong and he has never been afraid to believe in fairytales.
He got close to creating a fairytale going back to Rockingham in 2014 or Kalamunda in 2019, and now has pulled it off with Mandurah in 2024, and he's thankful for all the support to get there.
"I think it's all about the journey and believing in a fairytale. We are one of the lowest budget teams across the whole country in the NBL1 and we are those rescue dogs in a way," Utley said.
"I was able to sell a dream to them that good guys can come together and win this. Chad Miegel stayed with me right through last year, me and him talked, and now he's a championship captain.
"Cliff Kearns took over the board, but he backed me to say that as long as he was president then I would be his coach. He believed in me and then I backed in my players, and now we get to enjoy this."
Ever been close to stop chasing the dream
Going back to his career as a player and Utley knew that he was never going to blow anyone away with his talent or athletic ability, but why he was able to play 289 games and hit 201 three-pointers was because of his sheer passion, dedication and will.
His basketball brain was always going to lead to a path in coaching should he wish to pursue it. That ends up working in nicely with the skill set that also sees him work in the education system and currently be a high school principal at Coodanup College.
He went ever so close to reaching a Grand Final at Rockingham back in 2014, you could see what he was building at the Eastern Suns in 2019 as well before COVID blew that up.
But still, Utley always knew that his ability to recruit and ability to coach was capable of success, he just needed everything to fall into place for one season.
"After it ended at Suns, I thought I might just be that coach that never quite wins one and is that stereotypical hard luck story," Utley said.
"People always tell me that I overachieve with the talent I've got in any team that I've coached, but I just knew that one day when everything went right in a season on a team I coached, that this could happen.
"I honestly think that in terms of basketball tactics and those things that I'm equal to any coaches in this league. I've had assistant coaches too that have gone on to higher levels and it's just been a great journey the whole way, and to get this high point is incredible."
What it means on so many levels
To hear the support inside RAC Arena from the Magic faithful was something unlike Utley has ever heard in a game he has coached before, but when he reflected it was all about the bigger picture.
Firstly, how far the league has come from some small SBL crowds on those late Friday nights with 48-minute games to now playing in front of six and-a-half thousand people with the spectacle the RAC Arena provides.
But what makes the whole experience mean everything for Utley is that he was able to share it with his wife and his daughters – and how thankful he is to them for supporting him while he chases this basketball dream.
"When we hit the lead this place was so loud and it was amazing that we were able to play here. I've seen this league grow from Friday nights to playing the Perry Lakes Hawks in front of 24 people to this," Utley said.
"My mum and dad came for three years to support me even when I wasn’t getting on. They were there when I started coaching and would come support me, and that's what it means for us in this community to have all those people here at a game like this.
"My wife and our kids, Olivia and Isabelle, have just been incredible. They have been so invested in this team this year too so much so that Isabelle gets so tense that she can't even watch the game when it gets close.
"Simone was here tonight too and for them to see this means so much because I give up a minimum on average 38 hours a week to coach on top of my job.
"There are times that you come home grumpy and tired, and you're watching video until 3am and then get up and have to go to WABL. It takes a family to allow you to do this and it takes a whole community to win it."
Reward after years of banging on the door
Utley is a beloved figure in WA basketball and it will be hard to find someone who is not happy for him that he has got the reward for his 35 years of service to now celebrate a championship – maybe except those right now from Willetton.
But for Utley, it is always about the bigger picture and he was so happy for basketball in his state to see the occasion of the night at RAC Arena.
"It's unbelievable that this has happened in so many ways. The whole basketball community messaged me this week to tell me that they would love to see me get one, and I appreciate all of that so much," Utley said.
"But for me, it's being involved in the whole basketball community. I love all the referees and I have a good relationship with all of them along with the administration, the score bench and everyone involved in our sport.
"This is what NBL1 is, it's a league where the community first and it's important that we keep that perspective. It was good to get a win for the underdogs more than anything."
Stayed close enough, then struck when it mattered
As for the game itself on Saturday night in the Grand Final against Willetton, the Magic were playing catch up virtually the whole way after Jarrod Molnar scored the opening basket.
The Tigers did threaten to open up a decent advantage along the way, but it was different Mandurah players keeping them close including Michael Durr with his and-ones in the third quarter and then with the aggressiveness of Julian Pesava early in the fourth.
It was then Joel Murray time and the MVP earned his Grand Final MVP award with nine points in the game's last two minutes to finish the game with 30 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
"It's a nice weapon to have to keep ticking the scoreboard over to just stay close enough, and then let Joel take over," Utley said.
"I thought Willetton did a really good job on him, they sent doubles to him at the right time, but the guy is just quality. You knew that the longer the game went, he would keep drawing fouls and that's just what he does.
"Him and I are very close, and the same with Mike and me. This whole team just likes each other and Joel said to me that it's the first time he's played in a championship game wherever everyone on the team actually liked each other."
Focus on National Finals now
Not only do the Magic get to celebrate a first ever NBL1 West championship, they also now head to the Sunshine Coast this week to take part in the National Finals.
Mandurah take on the NBL1 North champions Mackay first up on Friday night and with all his players expected to travel and play, Utley is excited for one more weekend for this team in 2024.
"We want to go over there and show them that the City of Mandurah is not just the top tourist town, but the top basketball town in Australia," Utley said.
"I reckon there are some people over there are going to struggle to stop Michael Durr and Joel Murray, that's for sure."