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After reaching the USports final and earning silver in men’s basketball without a head coach last season, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies won’t face the same challenge if they make it back this year.
On Wednesday, the University of Saskatchewan announced Jamie Campbell will take over as the 10th head coach in the program’s history.
Campbell spent time as an assistant coach with Carleton University, winning national championships in 2019 and 2020. He’s also coached at Wilfred Laurier University and with the Ottawa BlackJacks of the Canadian Elite Basketball League.
Most recently, he wrapped up a position with Ontario Basketball as their technical director before accepting the job in Saskatoon.
Campbell said there is only one word to emphasize how he feels about this opportunity.
“I think over the last few days I’ve probably overused the word ‘excited,’ but I’m not sure any other word to use because I’m just really excited for this opportunity that I have,” Campbell said.
He’s been away from the bench while working with Ontario Basketball since November 2021, and said he missed competing.
“I really missed competing with our team, our guys getting ready every day, getting to practice competing against each other and then getting ready to compete against all the other teams within our conference. Trying to work together with a group of people to achieve a common goal. I’m really looking forward to getting back to that,” Campbell explained.
Stepping into the role, Campbell said he knows there will be challenges, and he’s going to lean on other coaches who have enjoyed success at the university, including Lisa Thomaidis, head coach of the women’s basketball team.
“There’s going to be some ups and downs here, like things you just haven’t experienced before. And being able to lean on people that have had a ton of experience and tons of success to help you through those times is something I’m going to use to my advantage,” Campbell said.
The new head coach said he plans to stay in contact with people who have been able to mentor him during his career, including spending time with former Carleton’s head coach Dave Smart, who won 13 national championships.
As for Campbell’s coaching style, he says he’s going to bring in what made the Carelton teams successful, but he isn’t going to overhaul what the players know and are comfortable with.
“I think it’s going to be a really collaborative effort, right? The team made it all the way to the national final last year, so trying to just come in and change all of these things and do a whole bunch of new things with a team that had that much success at the end of the year, I don’t think that would be a smart way to approach it,” Campbell said.
Although he is coming to the role late and playing a bit of catch-up, Campbell said he’s been in contact with the players already committed to the team this season.
“There may be some people who haven’t gotten an opportunity in the States that they wanted and are still looking for a home, and (we’re) trying to find the people that are going to be a right fit and right match to our program as we build moving forward,” he said.
“It’s a little bit late, but there’s definitely some time here to be able to get a player or two that maybe can help us immediately, and definitely in the future.”
Campbell said he wants to make sure he builds the proper culture off the court as well. He’s a founding member of Athletes Combating Racism, which works to provide equal opportunities to all youths.
“It means a lot to me,” he said.
“It’s just about (letting the players) know, and everybody around us know that we want to make sure everybody gets the same opportunity and same chances. And showing the guys you have to give back at times.”
The excitement around Campbell’s arrival was shared by Huskie Athletics’ Chief Athletic Officer Shannon Chinn.
“Jamie brings a high pedigree of excellence and a successful track record in USports basketball. We are confident that Jamie will thrive in Saskatchewan for years to come and are excited to welcome him to the community,” she said.
Campbell will make the move from Ontario to Saskatchewan on July 13, and will start working on rounding out his staff to prepare for the upcoming season.