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(Wolfville,
NS) - Acadia University today named Les Berry head coach
of the Acadia men’s basketball program. Berry, 31, was head coach of
the Brandon University Bobcats this past season.
“Les Berry is a great
fit for Acadia’s Varsity basketball program. He was the unanimous
choice of our selection committee and he was strongly supported by
our current players and the extended basketball community of Nova
Scotia,” said Dan McNally, Director of Varsity Athletics for Acadia.
“In addition to his excellent record as a head coach and his
basketball knowledge, he has a reputation as a tireless worker and
an excellent recruiter. We are looking forward to strong, principled
leadership from Coach Berry and I know he is looking forward to the
challenge of returning Axemen basketball to national prominence.”
Berry has seven years
of experience as a coach at an elite level. His first head coach
position with the Brandon Bobcat’s varsity women in 2003-04 was
highlighted by a victory over the Canadian Interuniversity Sport #1
ranked University of Victoria Vikes.
In 2004, Berry was
named head coach of the Bobcat men’s team to fill the vacancy left
by the departure of interim head coach Reggie Carrick. Under Berry's
leadership, the Bobcats completed the regular season with a 15-5
record, grabbing first place overall in the Canada West conference.
Originally from
Halifax, Nova Scotia, he was simultaneously the head coach of
women’s basketball at the University of King’s College, and head
assistant men’s basketball coach at Saint Mary’s University (SMU).
In 2000, Berry was named Basketball Nova Scotia’s Coach of the Year.
As one of Nova Scotia’s premier coaches, he led the Nova Scotia
Provincial Basketball Midget team in August of 2003 to a Silver
Medal at the Canadian Championships and won a Silver Medal in the
2002 Juvenile Canadian Championship. Berry’s Nova Scotia Midget
teams were Eastern Canada Champions in both 2000 and 2001.
"I'm extremely excited
to be named the Head Coach of the Acadia men's basketball program.
The opportunity to be associated with such a terrific school is
something our family is looking forward to. I look at this as a
fresh new start for the program," says Berry. "My goal will be to
continue to build on the great tradition and legacy of Acadia
athletics."
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