Bunten makes more history as Molten WBBL Coach of the Month

Having already cemented his name in history by taking the first ever win in the WBBL Championship, Team Northumbria play-caller Chris Bunten has now scooped the first ever Molten WBBL Coach of the Month award.His team have enjoyed a brilliant unbeaten start to the season and have outstripped all expectations by winning their four WBBL Championship outings and advancing in the Basketball England National Cup.

Bunten has repaid the faith shown in him after being handed the reins of Team Northumbria in the wake of the summer departure of his predecessor, Josh Merrington.


The rising coaching talent hasn’t needed long to make an impact, getting off the mark at the first attempt by beating Cardiff Met Archers 57-49 at the WBBL launch weekend, in what was the very first WBBL game.

His team then followed that up with a convincing 68-49 success at Barking Abbey Crusaders, but their best victory of the month came in the National Cup.

Bunten and his players went to the highly fancied Westfield Health Sheffield Hatters and came away with a fantastic and hard-fought 79-73 victory.


It wasn’t until his fourth game in charge that Team Northumbria were able to feel some home comfort as they belatedly stepped out at Sport Central.

And, tthey certainly made the most of it by powering their way past Manchester Mystics 73-53 and then finishing the month with a one-sided Halloween night success against Leeds Beckett University.

Bunten fought off stiff competition from Nottingham Wildcats’ boss Dave Greenaway, who has also guided his team to an unbeaten start to the maiden WBBL season.