The master mentor is pumped up tighter than a beach ball after being appointed to coach the Australian Country under 14s boys’ side in April, a gig he likens to his time spent guiding a high school basketball side in Indiana two decades ago.

Cole’s Australian Country outfit will take to the court at the Mel Young Easter Classic at Tauranga, near the Bay Of Plenty.

“It’s a pretty big achievement. This doesn’t happen all the time,” Cole said.

He’s featured heavily in coaching ranks for NSW for years, but this year’s Australian Country appointment is his first national gig.

“I was in Albury for the Australian Country Cup coaching down there and our coaching director gave me a call and said would I be interested in going if I was selected. I said ‘if that’s the case for sure’. I put my hat in the ring and was selected,” Cole enthused.

“I’m the only NSW coach going. I was really happy to do it.”

Cole’s side draws players from NSW, South Australia and Victoria, and as such the team won’t get together until just prior to tip off of the first game.

The under 14s boys’ side will be playing up an age in competition and, if Cole’s experience with New Zealand basketball is anything to go by, his young side is in for a rugged initiation to international hoops.

“New Zealand basketball is tough,” he said.

“You can’t play over there as a junior without a mouth guard. They’re kids in men’s bodies over there. They’re fairly solid.”

As such, Cole is keeping his side’s goals in check.

“We’ll take every game as it comes. We’ll compete and see what happens,” he added.

Cole’s son, Jay, has been named as a reserve for the Australian Country under 16s boys’ side, while Bathurst gun Sarah Matthew is in the under 16 girls’ side.