The CCAA Coach of the Year

Story supplied by the CCAA

Matt Kuzminski of the Vancouver Island University (VIU) Mariners has been named the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year.

Kuzminski was honoured during the 2023 CCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship, hosted by the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) in Calgary, AB. Kuzminski is now a two-time CCAA Coach of the Year recipient, having also earned the honour in 2015.

“The success Matt has had with the Men’s Basketball program at VIU is truly one to be admired,” said Jonathan Lambert, CCAA Men’s Basketball Convenor. “Matt has produced an impressive resume over his years as head coach at VIU – his program has found much success at the provincial level where his team has won their conference championship six times since 2015, and it is no surprise that his team earned a flawless regular season record.”

This season, Kuzminski guided the Mariners to their second straight perfect 17-0 record, as VIU dominated during the regular season once again in the Pacific Western Athletic Association (PACWEST). VIU improved defensively in 2022-23, lowering its points against from 77.5 to 69 points per game.

In his 11th season at the helm of the Mariners, Kuzminski continues to develop aspects of positive psychology practices to coaching and athletic leadership. He is very much about developing the ‘whole person’ while a student-athlete is at VIU. His practices are tough but fair, and he connects incredibly well with his players.
Kuzminski has helped arrange many coaching and mentorship opportunities for his student-athletes in Nanaimo and central Vancouver Island.

In addition, Kuzminski is also one of the co-leaders of Island Swish, a youth basketball program that provides competitive club and recreational levels of instruction and competitions for girls and boys at various age ranges and skill sets. He also formed and coached a new boys’ team through the Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools’ Learning Alternatives’ program.

The back-to-back undefeated regular seasons are an extension of a decade of success at VIU, according to Matt Carter, Communications & Sports Information Coordinator at VIU.

“Matt is a strong communicator and tactician who remains endlessly supportive of his athletes throughout the heat of the game,” said Carter. “It’s tough to give him compliments because he’ll deftly deflect those compliments towards the rest of his coaching staff or student-athletes.”

Other nominees for the CCAA Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year award were Ryan Heggie of the Lethbridge Kodiaks (Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference), Desmond Rowley of the Durham Lords (Ontario Colleges Athletic Association), Pierre-Watson Henry of Les Aigles d’Ahuntsic (Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec) and John Hickey of the St. Thomas Tommies (Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association).

The CCAA Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year recipient receives a customized ring provided by Jostens Canada, the Official Ring Supplier of the CCAA.