American basketball coach Zachary J. Cave has reached an agreement to sign a deal that will see him lead IPRC-Musanze Basketball Club for the next two years, Weekend Sport can confirm. The tactician has been in talks with the management of the Northern Province-based side since last October and is expected to put pen to paper on Friday, March 5. At the time, Zack served as assistant coach to Rene Sahabu, who will now take the assistant coach role at the club in a swap of positions ahead of the 2020/21 season. “He helped the club during the league playoffs as negotiations were ongoing. We were convinced by his CV and his technical skills in the short time he spent with the club,” Eric Nkurayija, the team president, told this publication on Wednesday. With IPRC-Musanze running on limited budget and relying on homegrown players as a learning institution, Nkurayija is upbeat that it will remain the policy, with incentives to give scholarships young talents in basketball – and volleyball. “We are confident the club has a good future with Zach at the helm. His coaching philosophy will contribute to the team’s success because he understands our development policy.” Speaking to Weekend Sport on Wednesday, tactician Zach said he was excited and looked forward to ‘building success’ around young players at IPRC-Musanze. “I am excited to be here coaching in Rwanda and making a difference in the basketball community. This [coaching IPRC-Musanze] gives me an opportunity to contribute to the development of the game in the country.” “There are a lot of players at IPRC Musanze working hard and hungry to prove that they challenge bigger and established teams in the country. I am excited to work with them,” he added. Who is coach Zach? Zach has been in the coaching and business of basketball for 7 years, and, he says, takes pride in the comradery he shapes with his players everywhere he has coached. Over the years, Zach has organised a large basketball programme back in the United States known as Minnesota Select. He has served as its co-director since 2017. Zach’s coaching career started at Mankato Loyola High School as the team’s Assistant Head Coach between September 2015 and July 2016 before he was appointed head coach of Hmong College Prep Academy on a two-year deal. At the end of his contract a Hmong College, Zach joined Park-Cottage Grove High School in the role of Associate Head Coach. During his time with the team, he chiefly offered his leadership in supporting tryouts, training, and managing rosters. With IPRC-Musanze, Zach has emphasised his intention to build the team around a young squad as he targets to tap into young talents at secondary schools and give them exposure in his team. “Though I will be mainly coaching, I am also excited to be a part of the development of Rwanda basketball in general; particularly in rural areas. It gives me a platform to help young players.” Zach’s first test as head coach will be the pre-season tournament, starting on March 19.
