(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photo by Jan Kruijdenberg)
 Marco Wels steps down as Head Coach of Quick Amersfoort
Nederlands
 AMERSFOORT (Neth.) -
Marco Wels has stepped down as Head Coach of Cityside Apartments Quick Amersfoort after having led the team for two seasons.
Wels confirmed the news on Wednesday-evening (September 12) after having informed the club of his decision.
Quick Amersfoort now will start the search for his successor.
...Marco Wels steps down as Head Coach of Quick Amersfoort...
(© Photo: Jan Kruijdenberg) |
Wels took over the team after the 2016 season.
Last year, he led Quick Amersfoort to the top in the second highest league and qualified for the Promotion/Relegation Pool.
That eventually led to promotion to the Dutch big league.
This season, Quick Amersfoort returned to the highest level for the first time since 1996.
The team can look back to a fine season.
In the regular season, Quick Amersfoort finished in seventh place with a 14-25 record and three ties.
With that, the team played in the Relegation Pool after completion of the regular season.
Last Sunday, Quick Amersfoort completed a 3-game sweep against Silicon Storks to secure its spot in next years big league.
Because of the head-to-head results against Meerlease Pioniers, Quick Amersfoort finished in second place in the Relegation Pool and in sixth place overall.
,,The distance between Amersfoort and my home was simply getting longer and longer'', Wels stated in an talk with Grand Slam * Stats & News on Wednesday-evening.
,,When the season gets towards the end and gets more intensive, you of course gets more involved.
That distance didn't made me happy and I was getting cranky.
I want to do something closer to my home.
When something gets my way, I'm always available to do something.
But it has to be something of a challenge.
That's also why I started coaching at Quick''.
Wels looks back with a good feeling to his two seasons with Quick Amersfoort.
Wels: ,,They are a contender again.
Last year, we promoted.
This year, we have played very well.
I think that many didn't expect that.
But I think that it's a good moment to step down.
We've had two good years.
We've accomplished a nice position again in the big league.
It is now up to the club to continue growing.''
Wels was named Head Coach of Quick Amersfoort in November 2016.
He then succeeded René de Vries, who returned to the coaching-staff a few weeks ago to become the Bench Coach of Wels.
Before coming to Amersfoort, Wels already had a long coaching career, including leading teams in the big league.
In 1991, he made his debut as a Head Coach at Amsterdam-based OVVO, whom he then led for three seasons.
Later, Wels coached at Xanthos (the successor of OVVO), whom he led at the big league-level in 1999.
After having coached at TIW-Survivors, Wels was a member of the coaching-staff for several seasons at Almere '90.
There, he also was the Head Coach in some big league-seasons (2005, 2010).
(September 12)
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