Every coach has new difficulties when joining a new sports team. So Clayton Pottinger embraces each one as he moves into his new role as the UBC Okanagan men’s basketball coach.
After eight years at Red Deer College, Pottinger said the decision to come to the Okanagan was not an easy one.
“It was a move by emotions, a lot of friends and my family that I’m sad to leave,” said Pottinger.
“It’s an opportunity for growth and change, and new challenges are always a good thing in life.”
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Pottinger joins UBCO to replace interim coach Ken Olynk. He wasted no time introducing himself to the players at university and campus, and hosted a weekend shoot-around with players from past, present and perspective from across the Okanagan.
The former Red Deer coach had a record 137-41 in his eight years with the Kings, including two conference titles and three berths for national championships, and won a silver medal in 2014.
Pottinger will try to apply some of the same coaching philosophies he developed at Red Deer College when he took over for the Heat.
“I think the similarities made it fascinating. There are a lot of good basketballs in the valley to build strong local teams,” he said.
“That helped me put together a vision pretty quickly. We can take fundamental measures to immediately create stability and culture and start building. “
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While Kelowna was on Pottinger and his family’s daily list, it was the vision for UBC Okanagan’s track and field program that Pottinger sold for the new coaching gig.
“The more I researched, the more I realized we were on the same page. they get it, ”he said.
“I’m really starting to think I can help them realize their vision for the basketball program.”
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Excitement played a big part, and Pottinger was always excited about delving into the basics of a building program.
“I’m excited about it. I believe that the team can be a playoff team and be consistently good. You have to respect who you work with and where you work and move on from there, ”he said.
Pottinger will take over the full coaching role at UBC Okanagan on May 15th.
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