One of the most famous surnames in the city's rich basketball history will return when the 32-year-old takes charge of the Canberra Gunners men's team in next year's South East Australian Basketball League.

Herb McEachin was synonymous with the Cannons during their golden days of the 1980s. He played more than 300 games for the Cannons and was a crucial part in the now-defunct club's three National Basketball League championships in 1983, 1984 and 1988.

A decade after the Cannons folded, the younger McEachin is back in Canberra to forge his own identity in the coaching ranks.

''One thing I've stressed is that Herb's achievements were on the court; my achievements will be from the sideline,'' McEachin said.

''To compare a coach with a player … I don't know you can make that comparison.

''My achievements will be based on Shawn McEachin the coach, not Shawn McEachin the son of Herb McEachin.

''I know dad will be watching a few games and he'll want to have some input, but I guess that'd be like me trying to tell him how to play the game.''

McEachin played in ACT junior representative teams and Erindale College and had the pressure of living up to the standard set by his father.

''Certainly when I was playing there were comparisons made,'' he said. ''They were never comparisons I was interested in or trying to surpass Herb's achievements because I would have had to be something pretty special to do that.

''I hardly watched him play because that's what dad did and for me it was boring. As I got older I started to appreciate his achievements and his successes.''

Coaching has always been McEachin's passion ever since he took over his younger brother's under-10s Weston Creek Dodgers team.

Since then he has completed a coaching apprenticeship with Newcastle and NSW Country, and has spent the past three years with the Illawarra Hawks, the development team for the Wollongong Hawks in the NBL.

McEachin takes over from Cameron Barnes, the son of Basketball Australia Hall of Famer Barry Barnes.