The Mohawk Mountaineers are proud to announce Kelsey Kovar and Mihai Raducanu will step into permanent head coaching roles for women's volleyball and women's basketball, effective immediately.
In the Summer of 2022, both Kovar (women's volleyball) and Raducanu (women's basketball) were named interim head coaches for their respective programs. With the growth of the two teams during the first half of the 2022/23 season, the two have earned the removal of the interim tag.
"In only a short period of time both Kelsey and Mihai have shown they can be successful head coaches in the OCAA and create long lasting success within their programs," said Matthew Ferreira, Director of Athletics and Recreation. "Both programs are being built around grit and resilience – two key aspects of Mountaineer Athletics."
Ray Williams, who was named co-head coach for women's basketball alongside Raducanu back in June 2022, will remain with the coaching staff and take on the position of Lead Assistant Coach.
"It was pivotal to ensure Ray continued to be a member of the women's basketball coaching staff," said Ferreira. "Her experience as both an athlete and coach, along with her ability to build strong relationships with the current student-athletes, makes her a valued member of what the program is building towards."
Under the helm of Kovar, women's volleyball began the 2022/23 season with five straight victories and head into the second half with a 5-4 record. Through nine games, the Mountaineers rank ninth in the OCAA in kills, seventh in blocks, ninth in service aces and fourth in points per set.
"It has been an honour to lead this program through the first half of this season and I look forward to continuing to establish our team as a perennial contender for the seasons to come," said Kovar. "The focus remains on the season ahead, getting back to winning matches and competing for an OCAA medal once again."
Women's volleyball begin the second half of their season on Jan. 12 at 6 p.m. when they play the Redeemer Royals at the Ancaster, ON college.
Despite getting off to a slow start this season, women's basketball – who will be hosting the CCAA Women's Basketball National Championship in March 2023 – found themselves on the winning side in two of their final four games to end 2022. The team has also improved its shooting ability this year from a season ago, shooting better from the field and beyond the arc.
"Ray and I have both enjoyed our time coaching this team and now getting the opportunity to build something special for the future is something we are looking forward too," said Raducanu. "It's time to get Mountaineers women's basketball back to the top of the OCAA and we have a strong foundation in place to get it done."
Women's basketball tips-off the 2023 portion of their schedule on Jan. 14 at 1 p.m. when they host the Niagara Knights.
When initially hired prior to the start of the 2022/23 season, Kovar became the 11th women's volleyball head coach in Mountaineers history and Raducanu is the ninth head coach for the women's basketball program.
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