BELLEVILLE, ONT. (20/01/12) - Rich Whitfield, head coach of the Loyalist Lancers, offers encouragement to his team, Friday, Jan. 20th, against the Durham Lords. The Lancers, who are currently ranked 8th in the East Region, lost the game 91-71. Photo by Rebecca Rempel.
By Rachel Cohen
The Loyalist Lancers men’s basketball team has hired a new head coach for the 2011/2012 season under the leadership of Richard Whitfield from Napanee.
Whitfield brings more than five years of combined experience as a coach and varsity player. Whitfield coached the Guardsmen Basketball Club and La Salle Secondary school teams in Kingston. Serving as assistant coach at Kingston’s Royal Military College for a year, Whitfield also played varsity with RMC and St. Lawrence College, where he won rookie of the year.
“Coach Whitfield has done a great job so far,” said Jim Buck, manager of athletics and campus recreation at Loyalist. “Although it’s his first year here at Loyalist, he has shown his commitment through challenges, and making adjustments with the team. It’s a learning process for everyone.”
Whitfield worked hard to actively recruit players throughout the province for the fall season.
“He has a great list of contacts in the basketball community,” said Buck. “There are always the challenges of recruiting locally; it’s never enough. He was very active in the recruiting camps this season. The program keeps getting better and better.”
“It’s been a rollercoaster ride so far,” said Whitfield. “These boys are a wild breed. It will take time for the team to get used to my disciplined style of basketball.”
Loyalist Lancers veteran Nick Liard has been impressed with Whitfield’s winning attitude.
“Rich has a very strong way of coaching. I’ve learned more this year alone, than any other year I’ve played basketball,” said Liard.
With the former coach Darrell McGrath being replaced, the change in pace hasn’t gone unnoticed.
“Where coach McGrath would have us in the gym three times a week, coach Whitfield expects us to invest every day,” said Liard “I feel like I’m playing in a university program. His intense competitive mentality is exactly what we need to go deep in the playoffs.”
Whitfield’s coaching résumé extends across the university level or higher.
“I was very fortunate to learn many of the fundamentals and strategies under the leadership of Dave Smart,” said Whitfield.
Smart has served as the head coach at Carleton University in Ottawa since 1999, leading the Ravens to seven Canadian Interuniversity Sport national championships.
“Our goal for this season is to learn how to play disciplined,” said Whitfield. “Consistency is key. It’s my job to teach my team to be defence-minded, which will transfer into wins on the court.”
The Loyalist Lancers will pick up their next game on Friday, Jan. 27, when the team visits La Cité, and Algonquin College in Ottawa the following day. The Lancers will look to gain momentum from a couple of wins on the road to put themselves in a good spot for the next four consecutive games at home.