Niagara College seeking female hoops coach

The Niagara College women’s basketball program is in the market for a new bench boss.

Interim head coach Kimbal Mackenzie has stepped down to pursue a soon-to-be-announced new position elsewhere.

The Oakville native had a great one-year stint in the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association, guiding his team to first place in its division with a 14-2 record before the team lost a close decision to the Fanshawe Falcons in a playoff elimination game.

The Niagara River Lions team captain loved his time at Niagara.

“I stepped into a good program and I coached a great group of women. Walking away, I have no doubt that I will coach again at some point because I enjoyed it a lot.”

The former scholarship player at Bucknell encourages all qualified coaches to apply for the position.

“Working with the athletic department at NC was seamless. I took the job about one week before I started and they made the process easy for me. Michele (athletic director O’Keefe) and Lorelle (intercollegiate coordinator Weavers) were both instrumental in that and from a group of women and a facility standpoint, it is an excellent opportunity. I was thrilled to be a part of the program and if another opportunity didn’t arise I would have continued there. It’s a good place to coach.”

O’Keefe will miss Mackenzie.

“I am sad to see him go but he is going to be a great coach. He demonstrates that in his playing style and it translated nicely onto the bench.”

Like Mackenzie, O’Keefe encourages all qualified coaches to apply.

“We have great athletic scholarship support which helps recruiting, we have a world-class facility, we have a fitness centre and coaches who come here feel supported. We try to help them move on to wherever is next in their career whether it’s to be a full-time coach or not. We try to make sure we are supporting the coaches’ dreams as well.”

The job has already been posted and will close on April 6.

“We have given a generous timeline to it and then we will move from there. Kimbal will be at the college until the end of May, working out the athletes and recruiting, and then Lorelle Weavers and I will support the recruiting however we can,” O’Keefe said.

To see the job posting, visit https://tre.tbe.taleo.net/tre01/ats/careers/v2/viewRequisition?org=NIAGARACOLLEGE&cws=38&rid=2583