2024 ACAC Men's Basketball Coaches of the Year
Edmonton, AB (February 29, 2024) –
North Male Coach of the Year | Evan Lloyd | Northwestern Wolves:
The Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) is proud to announce Evan Lloyd of the Northwestern Polytechnic Wolves has been named the 2023-2024 ACAC Men’s Basketball North Coach of the Year.
Coach Evan Lloyd has been coaching basketball since 2007, starting at a local high school in Grande Prairie, Alberta. He joined the Wolves program in 2014 as a part-time assistant coach, and in the 2017/2018 season, he became Head Coach. In his 6 seasons as Head Coach, he has had the pleasure of coaching fantastic student athletes, which won prestigious ACAC awards including Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and All Conference awards. He is always proud to see his athletes succeed after leaving NWP, with some playing professionally or at the USport level. As a local product of Grande Prairie, Evan enjoys promoting the sport of basketball in the area and giving back to the community by working with local elementary schools or coaching young athletes.
“In his six years as Head Coach, Evan has consistently demonstrated he is a fantastic X’s and O’s coach with an eye for detail,” said Travis Duncan, Athletic Director for NWP Wolves. “Evan’s leadership was on full display this season as he effectively led his young squad through some mid-season adversity and secured their highest placing in his 6 years at the helm. He possesses a commitment to detail in film breakdown, analytics and practice planning while placing an emphasis on developing his team supported philosophy. This is a great achievement for a well-deserving coach. We are all proud of his accomplishment.”
This prestigious award will be recognized at the 2024 ACAC Men’s Basketball Championship hosted by Keyano College in Fort McMurray, Alberta.
South Male Coach of the Year | Nathan Ruff | St. Mary's Lightning:
The Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) is proud to announce Nathan Ruff of St Mary’s University has been named the 2023-2024 ACAC Men’s Basketball South Division Coach of the Year.
When Nathan Ruff assumed the role of Men’s Head Coach at St. Mary’s University in 2016, the Lightning lacked a tradition of success. That year, the team posted a 3-18 record. However, their performance has steadily improved each year since then. This year's team, in particular, achieved remarkable success, finishing with a 19-2 record and securing first place in the ACAC South Division. They proved to be an incredibly thrilling team to watch, led by the league’s two top scorers and consistently scoring over 100 points per game.
Yet, it's not just the Lightning's record that fills Nathan with pride; it's their culture. They play with high energy, sporting big smiles, and executing with the relaxed precision of confident champions. "My goal is to use basketball as a tool to develop great people," states Ruff. Their success, both on and off the court, has rightfully earned the 42-year-old his first South Coach of the Year award.
This prestigious award will be recognized at the 2024 ACAC Men’s Basketball Championship hosted by Keyano College in Fort McMurray, Alberta.
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About the ACAC: The ACAC is the governing body for intercollegiate athletics in Alberta. Its mission is to provide competitive collegiate sport experiences, promote academic achievement and be a leader of sport development in Canada.
For more information on the ACAC, please visit our website: www.acac.ab.ca
For additional information, contact:
Mark Kosak, Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference
Chief Executive Officer
403-875-7329
markk@acac.ab.ca
Travis Duncan, Northwestern Polytechnic
Athletic Director
780-539-2072
tduncan2@nwpolytech.ca
Nathan Ruff, St. Mary's University
Director, Athletics & Recreation
403-254-3770
nathan.ruff@stmu.ca
Kayla Blacquiere, Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference
Marketing & Communications Coordinator
kaylab@acac.ab.ca