Basketball: Breakers officially part with Green

The controversial and confusing departure of Jeff Green as New Zealand Breakers coach apparently ended yesterday.

Both Green and Breakers management held a press conference in Hamilton to officially announce Green's resignation.

Breakers co-owner and executive director Michael Redman said the Australian National Basketball League franchise and Green had come to an agreement, the terms of which would remain strictly confidential.

"Jeff will have no role with the Breakers but has made a commitment to continue to protect and enhance the Breakers' brand," Redman said in yesterday's statement.

The Breakers have not said why Green has resigned, but the former coach has claimed that complaints from Australian teams about his courtside behaviour have been held against him.

Green again emphasised his decision to resign was made "for the betterment of the club".

Former assistant coach Frank Arsego has been appointed as head coach for the remainder of the 2003/2004 ANBL season.

The announcement follows a messy break-up which first erupted on Friday when Green was reported to have been sacked.

Later that day Breakers management denied Green had been sacked and said they had "an employment dispute" with him.

On Saturday Green resigned as coach, one hour before the Breakers game against the West Sydney Razorbacks, which they lost 103-95, but on Sunday it was reported that Green had resigned only for that game.

Green was fined $5000 last year by Basketball New Zealand for making obscene gestures at Nelson supporters when he led Waikato to their third successive national league title.

In 2001 he was fined for publicly criticising referees after earlier being fined for alleging that national coach Tab Baldwin was racially biased in his selections.

- NZPA