Sunshine Coast Lightning is building towards sustained success in the Suncorp Super Netball competition, today announcing the contract extension of Head Coach Kylee Byrne.
The extension was announced as part of Lightning’s fifth birthday celebrations and is a confidence boost for the Club and Byrne alike after recently competing in a fifth consecutive finals series.
Byrne has been with the Club since its inception, beginning her tenure as Assistant Coach for Lightning’s first three seasons, before being promoted to the Head Coach role ahead of Season 2020.
In her two seasons as Head Coach, she has taken Lightning to consecutive finals appearances, despite a disrupted campaign due to the impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
She also currently holds the position of Head Coach of the 21/U Australian side.
Lightning CEO Danielle Smith was thrilled to secure the services of Byrne for another two seasons, given her coaching acumen and established relationships and respect across the Club.
“Lightning is in great hands under an excellent technical coach in Kylee Byrne for an additional two seasons,” Smith said.
“What makes her a great coach is the combination of her sharp analytical mind as well as her people-first mentality and holistic approach.
“As a foundation staff member, Kylee was a key part of not only establishing the Club and it’s culture but also in continuing to drive standards and accountability across the group.
“What continues to impress me about Kylee is her dedication to personal and professional development and her innate ability to connect with our people in and around the Club – be they a player, colleague, sponsor or one of our beloved Members.
“I have complete confidence that she is the right person to take this Club forward in its next phase of success, through her influence and impact both on and off court.”
Byrne said she was excited by the extended opportunity to build on the proud history and success of the past five seasons.
“I have an incredible amount of faith in what this team is capable of and there is so much upside that we are yet to see from this core group,” Byrne said.
“I am honoured to be the Head Coach for at least another two seasons at Lightning and can’t wait to explore ways in which we can innovate and improve again next year to be even better.
“I’d like to thank Danielle and the Board for endorsing me throughout this process and look forward to getting to work.”
Byrne’s extensive coaching background spans over 15 years and a range of development and elite roles across Queensland Firebirds, Netball Queensland, Australian Institute of Sport and Netball Australia pathways.
