Being up against Scotland boss Steve Clarke for Coach of the Year is 'great for the sport' says basketball coach

Caledonia Gladiators coach Gareth Murray says it’s good for the club, himself and the sport of basketball that he has been nominated for Coach of the Year at the Scottish Sports Awards.

Murray, from Rutherglen, is on a short-list of three alongside Scotland boss Steve Clarke and athletics coach Steve Doig, of Fife AC and Pitreavie AAC.

East Kilbride-based Gladiators are also up for Moment of the Year for their ‘buzzer-beating win in the British Basketball League Trophy final”, ending a 20-year wait for silverware.

Billy Sloan’s last-gasp three-pointer earned a 73-70 win over Cheshire Phoenix to win the trophy in Glasgow, ahead of the club’s move to purpose-built premises in East Kilbride.

The Scottish Sports Awards, hosted by Team Scotland and sportscotland, will take place at Glasgow Science Centre on Thursday, December 7, and Murray is delighted to be nominated.

He said: “That’s pretty good, it’s exciting.

“It has been an incredible year and those types of awards are good for the club as well, not just for me. It shows that we’re doing good things and we’re being recognised, and basketball is being recognised as well.

“It was an amazing moment [to win the BBL Cup], I know a lot of people that went to the game said it was the best sporting action or moment they’ve ever been a part of, even in different sports they had been to.

“To win the game on the buzzer and win the first trophy in 20 years was great.

“It’s good for the club and it’s a good personal achievement for myself also.”

Murray chuckled when asked about being nominated alongside Steve Clarke, who has just steered Scotland to back-to-back European Championships and said: “I saw that! It’s good, I’m happy about being nominated, happy that basketball is being