Governors that Kirby Schepp become the new Manitoba Bisons Men’s Basketball Head Coach. Schepp is appointed to the full-time position that starts on Friday, May 1/09. Kirby was officially announced at a news conference on Wednesday morning in Winnipeg.
Schepp stated after the Board of Governor approval, “It is an honour to receive this appointment and to have the opportunity to test myself at the CIS level in my hometown. The University of Manitoba men's basketball program has a storied tradition of national champions, national team athletes and Olympians. We will do everything possible to bring the program back to this level.”
Along with his role at Sturgeon/Silver Heights, Schepp head coaching history includes being part of Team Manitoba for seven seasons while holding a 67-19 record among teams playing in exhibition tournaments, National Championships and Canada Games. The Winnipeg native continues his role as Manitoba's Canada Games Male Coach and the Head Coach of Canada Basketball’s Centre for Performance Prairie Region Boy's Program (involved since 2001) while being Basketball Manitoba's most active National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) Course Conductor (Levels 1-3).
Bison Sports Athletic Director Coleen Dufresne commented, “I am excited about the new era of men's basketball about to begin at the University of Manitoba. Coach Schepp may be new to the CIS but as a Manitoban, he is well aware of the talent being developed within our province and is looking forward to the opportunity and challenges this new position brings. His work ethic is commendable, his enthusiasm infectious and I, along with the other members of the advisory committee, am confident that he will do a great job.”
Schepp is also very involved in the redevelopment of the NCCP model at the national level and is one of Manitoba's few Master Learning Facilitators. He has held the position as Manitoba's High Performance Provincial Coach since 2007. His past experience with basketball coaching has also been as President of the Manitoba Basketball Coaching Association (MBCA), the University of Winnipeg assistant coach from 1996-2001 and playing at the University of Winnipeg from 1993-96.
In mid-April of 2009, Schepp was also selected to inaugural Cadet National Basketball Team Under-17 Coaching Staff.
In addition to his coaching prowess, Schepp has a Masters in Education (Coaching) from the University of Victoria, Bachelor of Education from the University of Winnipeg and National Coaching Certification Program Level 3 plus was selected as Canada’s representative and head basketball coach at Generations for Peace, International Sport Development programs held in Amman, Jordan in late November 2008.
Schepp replaces departing Bison men’s basketball head coach Rick Suffield. On November 6/08, Suffield announced his decision to make the 2008-09 season his final season at the helm of the Bisons. Suffield had been head coach of the Bison men’s basketball program for 23 years (25 years involved with Bison Sports). Suffield, 57, had coached the Bisons since 1983 while producing over 400 wins as well as a 148-44 win/loss record at the high school level at Montreal and Winnipeg.
Quotes from current Bison men’s basketball players:Eric Garcia, third year guard from Winnipeg: “My thoughts on Coach Schepp is that he is a highly respected coach in high school and coming to the University of Manitoba to coach us will be a new experience for him. Although we are sad to see Coach Suffield leave us, we will miss him and wish him the best of luck. We think we will develop a great relationship with Coach Schepp and will learn new things from him. With his knowledge and accomplishments in basketball, we are pretty confident that he will make us better and get us back on the winning track.”
Dan Purvis-Collins, second year guard from Winnipeg: “I'm from Winnipeg, so I know Kirby from the basketball community and as an opponent on a rival team he was coaching (high school). From what I could see and hear, he has always been a very devoted coach with lots of enthusiasm. I have asked some players who have been coached by him in the past what their thoughts and feelings were towards him as a coach. They all said he was a great coach that will work you to your full potential if you let him. I'm very excited for him and our team, and can't wait to get the season and program started and in the right direction.”
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