Every dog has his day, and today was Jamie Campbell’s.
On Wednesday morning, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies Men’s Basketball team announced that Campbell had been named the 10th head coach in program history.
“That makes the process longer, when you know that there’s a lot of good candidates,” Campbell said via zoom from Waterloo, Ont.
“(When I was told) that the committee had chosen me I (felt) excitement. Getting a chance to come and join a program like Saskatchewan Men’s Basketball, joining Huskie Athletics in general and after coming out and being on campus and seeing everything and being in Saskatoon, it just seemed like a great place to be.
“It’s something I’m excited to be a part of.”
Campbell is no stranger to the courtside bench, having spent time as an assistant with Wilfred Laurier (2012-18), Carleton (2019, 20) and the Canadian Elite Basketball League’s Ottawa Blackjacks (2020).
During his tenure as coach he claimed a pair of U Sports national titles, both with the powerhouse Carleton Ravens.
Since late in 2021, Campbell has served as the technical director of Ontario Basketball, but the competitive fire burning inside him has prompted a return to coaching.
“Eight months, and it was a long eight months,” he chuckled. “It was an amazing opportunity to work with Ontario Basketball, but the competitive fire, the ability to come out and compete with our guys and then go compete with the other great teams in our conference and in our country, I missed that every day.”
“I missed the craziness of practice and prepping every day. It’s something that I really enjoy and I just realized that I really need to be working with guys and I really need to compete.”
“Jamie brings a high pedigree of excellence and a successful track record in U Sports basketball,” Huskie Athletics Chief Athletics Officer Shannon Chinn said in a release.
“We are confident that Jamie will thrive in Saskatchewan for years to come and are excited to welcome him to the community.”
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