Breaking down Vickerman’s historic run with United

When he arrived ahead of the 2017-18 season, Dean Vickerman was tasked with lifting what was at that time the league’s only Victorian franchise back to prominence.

Since rebranding to Melbourne United three seasons prior, the team has only progressed to the post-season once, while winning just over 50% of its games.

Vickerman was able to immediately flip the script in his first season, leading the team to a 25-10 record overall, earning him his first Lindsay Gaze Coach of the Year award and a Championship victory back in his home state.

This would be the first of Vickerman’s eight playoff appearances in nine seasons, leading to 24 Finals victories, and 197 overall victories, more than any other coach across the same stretch.

He would ultimately claim another Championship in NBL21, in the process equaling the record for the most wins ever by a team in a single season (33), along with another two Coach of the Year awards, leaving him as one of only six coaches to have claimed the honour as many times.

This success rocketed Vickerman up the all-time coaching leaderboard, where he now ranks seventh in wins (249) and third in finals wins (31).

Digging into the analytics, Vickerman’s defensive mindset was what fuelled much of United’s success, with the team registering a top-two defensive rating in seven of his nine campaigns.

In the end, Vickerman leaves United having established a legacy of success the club will hope to build on throughout the future, leaning on the values and culture he helped construct.