DRIVE Basketball :: Coaches Corner : Kevin Hanson

(Pictured: Head Coach Kevin Hanson has been the Head Coach of the UBC thunderbirds Mens Basketball team for the past 6 years. This season he helped coach the T-Birds to a perfect 20-0 regular season record, a first for the program in 35 years. Photo's courtesy Richard Lam.)

Coaches Corner: Kevin Hanson

We are extremely excited to debut our latest "Coach's Corner" with one of the premier coaches in Canada, Kevin Hanson. Coach Hanson has extensive experience in coaching having led the Langara College basketball program to National prominence in the 90’s. During his time at Langara, Coach Hanson won five BCAAA Provincial Championships, 2 CCAA National Championships, and helped guide the Falcons to 7 trips to Nationals in his 9 year tenure as the Head Coach. He has now taken his coaching ranks to UBC where he has turned the Thunderbird program into one of the premier programs in the Country. Coach Hanson was recently named Canada West Coach of the year where he helped guide the Thunderbirds to a perfect regular season (20-0), the 1st team in 22 years to accomplish this feat in CW action. Coach Hanson has also been a significant member of the National team Program where he has been the Head Coach of the Student National team for the Past 4 summers. Under his realm as Head Coach he helped Canada capture the Bronze Medal in Korea in 2003 at the World University games. He was most recently a finalist for the Head Coaching job for the Senior National team and looks to continue to work with team Canada to build upon its past success.

DRIVE would like to thank Coach Hanson, one of the premier basketball Coaches in the country, for sharing his wonderful thoughts in the latest edition of "Coach's Corner".

DRIVE: When did your illustrious coaching career begin?

KH: The first team I ever coached was when I was in grade 11 and we were coaching in the North Delta Mini-League. That was very fun and I really enjoyed the experience. After my last playing year at UBC in 1987 I went on to be and Assistant Coach at SFU for one year. Stan Stewardson was the Head Coach and Jay Triano was the other Assistant Coach. From there I went to Langara College for two years as Duncan McCallum’s Assistant then to UBC as an Assistant to Head Coach Bruce Enns. After four years of being an Assistant Coach I became the Head Coach at Langara College where I coached for 9 years. This is my 6th season at UBC as the Head Coach.

DRIVE: What is your greatest moment throughout your coaching career?

KH: I think the greatest moment throughout my coaching career is the moment you share with the players when the final whistle blows in a championship game. However, I really enjoy the times when alumni come and visit and we talk about the good old days. The friendships that I have gained through coaching are the most fulfilling aspect involved in the job.

I think there are a lot of ‘greatest moments’ that occur every season but ultimately the fact that I Coach for a career is the most incredible of all.

DRIVE: How has your experience been coaching the Canadian Student National Team?

KH: Coaching the Canadian Student National Team has been extremely rewarding for me. Getting a chance to coach some of the best players that the Country has to offer has had a big impact on my coaching. It has been the best professional development that I could have received. To be able to coach against and speak with coaches from different Countries from around the World has really impacted my coaching philosophy and coaching style. Winning a Bronze medal at the 2003 Universiade in South Korea was something that I will always cherish. We had a great group of guys that were very talented and many have moved on to play professionally.

DRIVE: Where have you developed your coaching philosophy from?

KH: My coaching philosophy has developed as a result of playing for and coaching underneath some of the best coaches that BC has ever produced. I would recommend to everyone that wants to become a Head Coach that they try and work under as many Head Coaches as they can. You get a chance to see a vast variety of styles and philosophies. From these opportunities you get a chance to take what you like and throw out what you don’t like. I learned a great deal from being an Assistant Coach.

DRIVE: What's the biggest adjustment you notice that High school players have to make in order to play at the university level?

KH: The biggest adjustment that High school players have to make to adjust to University basketball is the mental side of the game. It is tough to come in as a freshman into this league. When you have been the star for 5 or more years and suddenly you are playing against guys that are 5 (sometimes more than that) years older than you it is a tough grind. You can’t coach that experience, players have to experience it. That’s why I believe that the mental side of the game is so key. There are a lot of variables that are involved in the mental aspect but even the length of the season can be grueling for players. The high school season is approximately 4 months and the University season can last up to 7 months.

DRIVE: As the Head Coach at UBC, what are some attributes you look for in potential recruits?

KH: What I like to look for in a recruit is three-fold. The player has to be a good person, has to be able to score, and I really like players that have won championships. It doesn’t have to be a basketball championship; the player just has to have the drive to be the best that he can….no matter what facet of life it deals with.

DRIVE: What advice would you recommend to young aspiring basketball players from BC to work on to become complete players?

KH: The advice I would give to aspiring players in BC is simply to love basketball. Play as much as you can, attend as many camps as you can, if you can’t find a game to play…make one. In all my years of coaching I have found that the best players are the ones that spent time on their game in the earlier years of their life. The earlier and the harder you work on your game the better you are going to be. Always practice at game speed and live every day with ‘NO REGRETS’. If you are not working on your game someone else is working on theirs.

DRIVE: You've had the opportunity to coach numerous All-Canadians, MVP's, and Professional players, what are some of their attribute that make these players so special?

KH: The attributes that special players share is the confidence they have in themselves. As a player you have to have the confidence to be the guy that wants to take the last shot. One of my old coaches used a saying that I still use today….”know the difference between playing Basketball and being a Basketball Player”. Anyone can go out and play basketball. That just takes a ball and a hoop. However, being a basketball ‘PLAYER’ is what we want. Understanding the game and being able to ‘DO IT’ is what makes those special players. The ‘special players’ know the difference.

DRIVE would like to wish Coach Hanson and his UBC team the best of luck the remainder of the season.

.: For past Coaches Corner Article's click here.