Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) looked to the north in their search for a head coach for its women’s basketball program, and have announced Mandy Botham of Prince George has accepted the job.
An assistant coach with the University of Northern BC Timberwolves of Canada West for the past two seasons, Botham takes over a KPU Eagles team which went 7-14 (won-lost) in the 2014-15 season to place sixth in the eight-team PACWEST (Pacific Western Conference) league.
“I am very excited that coach Botham has accepted our offer,” said David Kent, the director of athletics and recreation at KPU. “I welcome her to the Eagles family and look forward to great success for the women’s basketball program over the coming years.”
Botham is also the current head coach of Basketball BC’s under-15 girls team which placed fourth at the 2014 nationals, and has worked in the Performance and Target Athlete Performance programs run by Canada Basketball and Basketball BC.
She played at the collegiate level with the Grande Prairie Regional College Wolves of the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference, winning a bronze medal at the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association in the 1994-95 season.
“It’s truly an honour to have the opportunity to take this team into the future and be the next leader of this program,” said Botham. “I am fortunate to be given a position to be able to influence and shape young women and future leaders in our community.”
Botham will start work with the program this month, and will announce her coaching staff in the coming weeks. Dates are set for two player identification camps on Thursday, July 16 and Friday, Aug. 14.
Tryouts are open to any females who will be studying at KPU in the fall. Registration and waiver completion is required, and all registration can be completed on the KPU Eagles women’s basketball website www.kpu.ca/eagles/wbasketball