Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS) wheelchair basketball coach Jeremy Synot has been appointed head coach of the Australian Gliders, Australia’s women’s national wheelchair basketball team, by Basketball Australia.
Synot works daily with VIS scholarship holders at the forefront of wheelchair basketball in Victoria, supporting athletes who train and develop within the Institute’s high performance program. His appointment to the Gliders role draws a direct line between the work being done at state level and the standards required to lead Australia’s national Para sport program.
Synot has led the Australian Gliders as interim head coach since December, guiding the program through a key transition period that included the Osaka Cup in February. His appointment positions the Gliders with clear, experienced leadership as the team builds toward the 2026 IWBF Women’s Wheelchair Basketball World Championship Repechage later this year.
Previously appointed head coach of the Australian Under-25 Devils in late 2025, Synot now moves into the Gliders role on a permanent basis.
VIS Chief Executive Officer, Nicole Livingstone AO OLY, said Synot’s appointment was a reflection of both the quality of coaching within the Institute’s programs and the pathway the VIS provides for high performance staff as well as athletes.
Jeremy is a coach who has consistently raised the standard of wheelchair basketball in Victoria with a bespoke approach for every athlete he works with, helping them to thrive and succeed. This appointment is a deserved recognition of that work.
“The VIS exists to support athletes and the people who develop them, and seeing Jeremy take the reins of the national program is exactly the kind of outcome we work toward. We are proud of what he has built here and are fully behind him as he leads the Gliders toward Madrid and beyond.”
Image: Jeremy Synot (front centre) with VIS wheelchair basketball athletes
Synot said the appointment carried real weight, and that his time leading the program had given him a clear picture of what the group is capable of.
“I feel extremely lucky and privileged to be appointed to the job ongoing,” said Synot.
This team is made up of a remarkable group of athletes who are really hungry for success, and the work done previously will contribute to what we achieve over both the short and long term.
The Gliders’ next major assignment is the 2026 IWBF Women’s Wheelchair Basketball World Championship Repechage, the final qualification tournament for teams seeking to secure their place at the 2026 IWBF World Championships. The event will be held at the TENPLE Sports Complex in Madrid, Spain, from 8-11 June 2026, hosted by the Spanish Federation of Sports for People with Physical Disabilities (FEDDF).
