According to NBS Sports journalist Brian Tuka, the 10-time NBL champions, the City Oilers, have parted ways with their Head Coach Andrew Tendo. He added that a couple of players will also be leaving the team, the first to be confirmed being Burundi International Landry Ndikumana.
This news is a surprise to many as it comes 19 days after their 81-74 game 7 defeat against the Namuwongo Blazers in the 2026 NBL Finals. This marked the second season in a row that the Oilers had fallen short in the finals.
Tendo’s record at the helm
In 2024, Coach Andrew Tendo was named the head coach following the departure of Mandy Juruni. In his first year, the club experienced turmoil as senior players, Jimmy Enabu, James Okello and Tonny Drileba left the club halfway the season. Nonetheless, the City Oilers went on to win all their games and won their historic 10th Championship.
In the 2025 season, the City oilers struggled immensely. They lost their first 2 games of the season and went on to lose 6 of the 11 first round games. However, they had a much better second round and managed to win 7 games, finishing as the number 7 seed.
In the playoffs, they added players; Kurt Curry and Chad Bowie who helped see them past the JT jaguars in the quarterfinals and Sommet in a semifinal series that was decided in game 5. They booked their placed in the finals and for the first time since 2022, they Oilers were going to face the Namuwongo Blazers in the finals.
In the first 2 games, the City Oilers won and for a moment, they looked like they would clinch an 11th championship. That proved not to be the case the Blazers won the next 4 games to end the ‘dictators’ reign.
2026 was supposed to be the year that the Oilers retook the throne. They started the season with a win over the Nam Blazers and they went on to have a 20-2 regular season record. They swept the KCCA Panthers and the Rezlife Saints in the quarter and semifinals ultimately booking their place in the finals.
Once again, Coach Andrew Tendo and the Oilers came close as they led the series 3-2 but the Blazers won games 6 and 7 to seal yet another championship.
In the NBL alone, the City Oilers have had a 77-23 record. This means that, under his tenure, the Oilers have played 100 NBL games and won 77% of them.
What next for the City Oilers
Brian Tuka also reported that coach Mandy Juruni will take over. Juruni was the Oilers’ coach for very many years and he won multiple championships with them. He is no stranger to the administration and the players and the Oilers hope that he will be the answer to their problems.
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