Bison Sports has announced that Michele Hynes and Randy Kusano will return as co-coaches for the Bison women’s basketball program for the upcoming 2013-14 season. Both coaches were at the helm of the Bison program in 2012-13. “I am confident that the passion, commitment and drive that both Michele and Randy bring to the program every day will take our women’s basketball program to the next level,” stated Bison Sports Athletic Director Coleen Dufresne. The Bison women’s basketball program, with one of the youngest roster in the CIS during 2012-13, finished seventh in the Prairie Division of the Canada West conference with a 2-20 record in the 2012-13 conference regular season. Manitoba lost twice in overtime and four more losses were by ten or less points during their first season as co-coaches. There were four rookies and no fifth year players on the 11 person Bison roster in 2012-13.
Hynes said, “Randy and I are very excited to be given an opportunity to continue to build a program that will be nationally competitive. We know we have a lot of work to do but we look forward to the challenge."
Kusano, 61, was the winningest coach in the history of high school basketball in Manitoba. His high school teams won three MHSAA (Manitoba High School Athletic Association) AAAA Provincial Championships provincial titles, 11 conference titles and he coached in 15 AAAA Final Fours in his 34 years coaching with the Oak Park Raiders in Winnipeg before retiring from teaching in 2010. A University of Manitoba graduate, Kusano is a current fully certified NCCP Level 3 coach with over 20 years of CIS coaching experience as an assistant with the Bison men’s basketball program before last season.
Hynes, 25, completed her five year university playing career with the Manitoba Bisons in 2010. From 2005-10, Hynes was a leader on and off the court as she was as a team captain for three consecutive years (2007-08 to ’09-10) Hynes was selected as the 2009-10 CIS (Canadian Interuniversity Sport) Sylvia Sweeney Award winner – presented to a player who recipient exhibits outstanding achievement in three areas: basketball, academics and community involvement. The Millgrove, ON native has earned a Bachelor of Kinesiology from the U of Manitoba and is currently enrolled in Faculty of Engineering.
A natural leader Hynes started her coaching career with the Junior Bisons in 2005 and also coached with Big Country basketball (2010-12). She was a rural team coordinator and coach with the JRB Basketball (2009). Hynes was awarded the 2009 Jim Bulloch Coaching; the 2011-12 Grey Cup Legacy award and a 2012 Women to Watch grant. Over the next two summers leading to the Canada Games, Hynes joins Kusano, Don Thompson and Coleen Dufresne as the Apprentice Coach for the Manitoba 17U Provincial Team.