Mike graduated from Brandon University
with degrees in Physical Education and Education. As a
former Bobcat player, Mike was part of
two teams that made it to the National Championship Game (2000 &
2001). He currently holds his NCCP level 3 certification.
Mike begins his new duties immediately.
As part of the men's basketball coach announcement, the University of Winnipeg also announced that long time basketball coach Grant Richter has been named the new Director of Athletic Program Development & Community Liaison. For more on this announcement and other details of the day...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – TUESDAY, APRIL
13, 2010
WINNIPEG, MB – The University
of Winnipeg today made several major announcements about the future of
its athletic and academic programming, including the addition of key
staffing positions and the desire to expand its athletic, academic and
community programs.
Among the important items today, the University
announced that:
- Grant Richter has been named
Director of Athletic Program Development & Community
Liaison
- Mike Raimbault has been named Men’s
Basketball Head Coach
- It is looking to expand
its CIS programs to potentially include soccer,
wrestling, track-and-field and cross-country teams
- It is
pursuing the possibility integrating the Kinesiology &
Athletics departments into a single unit.
Grant Richter, Doran Reid, Mike Raimbault
Today’s announcements demonstrate the
University’s strong commitment to broadening and deepening its athletic,
academic and community programs, and that it is actively working to
become a centre of opportunity and development.
“These positions reflect the significant changes
in our programs that were recommended by the Task Force on Athletics
and Academics,” said Dr. Lloyd Axworthy, President & Vice-Chancellor
of The University of Winnipeg. “Our initiatives are outcomes of a wider
athletics strategy identified by the Task Force. These actions stress
the University’s role as a leader in developing community, inner-city
and competitive athletics.”
Director of Athletic Program Development
& Community Liaison
Richter moves into the
newly-created role of Director of Athletic Program Development &
Community Liaison after most recently serving as interim head coach of
the Wesmen men’s basketball team. He previously served as assistant
coach of the team from 1992-98, and also coached the Winnipeg Cyclone
professional basketball team and the Murdoch MacKay Collegiate team.
More recently, he has worked with UWinnipeg’s Collegiate Model School to
develop athletics programs that support talented, at-risk youth.
Richter will report to Dean of Arts and Task
Force Chair Dr. David Fitzpatrick, and in collaboration with Athletics
Director Doran Reid, to develop initiatives and programs that promote
health and wellness, athletics, intramural sports and community physical
activity programs. He will serve as the University’s liaison with
local school divisions and community groups to ensure increased access
to the Duckworth Centre, and will be involved with recruiting athletes
for the University and its Collegiate sports teams. Richter will also
advise the University’s administration on developing plans to expand
athletic facilities on campus.
“Grant’s experience as a coach at the university
and high-school levels, combined with his work in the Winnipeg
community, makes him well-suited for this important role,“ said
Axworthy. “As the University moves forward with a renewed purpose to
its athletic programs, facilities and relationships with the community,
he will play a critical role in helping us to achieve this mission.”
Men’s Basketball Head Coach
The
28-year-old Raimbault comes to UWinnipeg after most recently guiding
the Northern British Columbia Timberwolves to the Canadian College
National Championship in March following a 17-1 win-loss mark in
regular-season play. For his accomplishments the Canadian Colleges
Athletic Association named Raimbault its Men’s Basketball Coach of the
Year.
“Mike is a passionate, energetic and
knowledgeable basketball coach who is a proven winner in his young
career,” said Reid. “He is a great teacher and leader who has been
active and connected with the communities he has been part of and will
be the ideal person to lead our program, on the court and in the
community.”
The Brandon native has significant head coaching
experience for someone so young. He was also the interim head coach for
the Brandon University Bobcats in 2007-08, steering the team to a 20-2
win-loss record in Canada West play.
Raimbault is a graduate of Brandon University
with degrees in Education and General Studies.
Expansion of CIS programs
Reid
indicated today that the University is looking to expand its
participation in Canadian Interuniversity Sports (CIS) programs. The
University is actively pursuing the possibility of adding Wesmen teams
in the sports of cross-country, soccer, track-and-field and wrestling.
If viable, these teams could begin competing as early as the Fall of
2011.
“The development of competitive teams is
important to the future of the Wesmen program,” said Reid. “For many
years we have been seen as a successful, but small, athletic school. The
addition of more teams to the Wesmen Family will more accurately
represent where we stand in the CIS.”
Integrated Kinesiology & Athletics
Unit
The University of Winnipeg has always placed a strong
emphasis on the concept of the “student-athlete.” With that emphasis and
the University’s commitment to community learning in mind, the
Department of Kinesiology and Applied Health and the Department of
Athletics are exploring synergies that a closer relationship as one unit
would provide. Plans are currently in the works for a presentation to
the University Senate.
The two departments work together often on
projects and events, such as the Get Active-Get Academic school program.
Students in the Athletic Therapy program regularly work with Wesmen
teams as part of their practicum. Conversely, many of the University’s
student-athletes serve as ambassadors for the Department of Kinesiology
and the Wesmen coaches work with the Department of Kinesiology to
promote Task Force initiatives.