May 6, 2005
QUEEN'S ANNOUNCES INTERIM MEN'S BASKETBALL COACH
KINGSTON, ON - John McFarlane, Chair of Queen's Athletics and Recreation, is pleased to announce that Assistant Coach, Rob Smart, has been appointed as Interim Head Coach of the men's Golden Gaels basketball team for the 2005-2006 season. Rob has been an assistant coach with the Golden Gaels for the past two years, a former Golden Gaels player, a Queen's graduate and a long time elite community coach. He will be assisted by returning coach Suche James, recent OFFSA championship team Head Coach at Frontenac Secondary School, and former Golden Gael (1998-2002) and Team Captain, Duncan Cowan. All of these individuals bring basketball knowledge, leadership, experience and commitment to our Queen's Men's Basketball program.
Smart has a long time affiliation with local club and high school basketball in the Napanee region, and at the university level with sons Rob and Mike having being named as CIS All-Canadians while playing for the Carleton Ravens. His son Mike, has been recognized twice as a CIS "Final 10" Championship Most Valuable Player. Rob's younger brother Dave, also a former Golden Gael, is the current Head Coach at Carleton and has been named CIS Coach of the Year for the past two years. Ironically, both Queen's and Carleton compete in the OUA East division, and as such, both brothers will be going head to head in the upcoming season. About the upcoming season sibling rivalry, Rob is quoted as saying that he is "looking forward to playing against his brother, especially now that both of his sons are no longer playing for the Ravens."
The Chair of Athletics and Recreation, John McFarlane, goes on record stating that "Rob has an exceptional basketball mind, and understands the technical and tactical aspects required to be successful at the CIS level. He will lend solid continuity to our program which returns 11 out of 12 players from last year's play-off contending team. Queen's is fully committed to supporting our men's basketball program, as has been the case for the past three years under Coach Chris Oliver's leadership, with the goal of making it one of the premiere CIS basketball programs in the country. "I have every confidence that Rob will provide us with strong quality leadership to help us reach that goal" concludes McFarlane.
(Source: Henk Pardoel, Queen's Sports Information)
Smart has a long time affiliation with local club and high school basketball in the Napanee region, and at the university level with sons Rob and Mike having being named as CIS All-Canadians while playing for the Carleton Ravens. His son Mike, has been recognized twice as a CIS "Final 10" Championship Most Valuable Player. Rob's younger brother Dave, also a former Golden Gael, is the current Head Coach at Carleton and has been named CIS Coach of the Year for the past two years. Ironically, both Queen's and Carleton compete in the OUA East division, and as such, both brothers will be going head to head in the upcoming season. About the upcoming season sibling rivalry, Rob is quoted as saying that he is "looking forward to playing against his brother, especially now that both of his sons are no longer playing for the Ravens."
The Chair of Athletics and Recreation, John McFarlane, goes on record stating that "Rob has an exceptional basketball mind, and understands the technical and tactical aspects required to be successful at the CIS level. He will lend solid continuity to our program which returns 11 out of 12 players from last year's play-off contending team. Queen's is fully committed to supporting our men's basketball program, as has been the case for the past three years under Coach Chris Oliver's leadership, with the goal of making it one of the premiere CIS basketball programs in the country. "I have every confidence that Rob will provide us with strong quality leadership to help us reach that goal" concludes McFarlane.
(Source: Henk Pardoel, Queen's Sports Information)
