In Pistoia, president Rowan starts working as a coach: denounced by the basketball coaches’ union

The Rowan case is animating the basketball world. What the president of Pistoia did, who started making decisions during the away match in Cremona last October 13th and then repeated it last Sunday at home against Venice, is causing discussion. The American patron, a former excellent globetrotting player with many precedents in Italy (he played for 9 different teams including Pistoia, ndr) decided to bypass the Calabria coach and start personally giving directives to the team. In reality he wouldn’t have the titles given that in his career he only coached at school level but his love for basketball and Pistoia dragged him to go beyond the roles.

First indications in Cremona and then on the bench against Venezia

He started in Cremona. For fear of losing the match (later won by Pistoia, ndr) for Calabria’s choices, he ordered the change to bring back his son Maverick who up until then had been one of the best. It was the moment of the break with the coach who, in reaction, responded in monosyllables in the following two press conferences and then withdrew on Sunday, officially due to a gastrointestinal virus. In the meantime, during the week Rowan decided to direct the training himself and on Sunday against Venice he acted as a real coach, sitting next to Giuseppe Valerio, also a former Pistoia player, and last season assistant in Interregional B. Rowan called the switches and handled the timeouts. Something that was not liked by the fans themselves who, with a banner, called the president to “respect roles”.

Reported by the coaches union but he did not violate the rules

The affair, inevitably, did not go down well with USAP (Basketball Coaches’ Union) which, in an official statement, censured the situation existing in the red and white club and also reserved the possibility of referring the matter to the competent bodies of justice “to safeguard of the professionalism and sacrifices of the coaches, of their training path and of the time spent in training courses”. In truth, if regularly registered as an accompanying manager and therefore present on the bench, Rowan would not have violated the federal regulation, being able to speak freely during timeouts.

Interference already upon arrival, starting from the market

Ron Rowan arrived in Pistoia before the summer as a representative of the new US ownership and immediately made it clear that he wanted to be more than a president. He put his mouth on the market by asking for a more physical roster, he signed his son, he terminated the contract of Nicola Brienza (best coach of last Serie A) replacing him with a friendly coach, Dante Calabria, a former Milan player. They seemed like the ideal conditions to keep the club going but the desire to have an impact on technical issues took over, also breaking the friendship with Calabria who is now at odds with the club and has had his agent come to the city to understand how it can be done. resolve the issue in light of the three-year contract he had just signed at the start of the season.