Since the 2013-2014 OCAA season, the Mountaineers women's basketball program has claimed five OCAA medals, including three straight silver during that run. While this was a great stretch for the program, they didn't claim a gold medal and new head coach Hali Burns enters her first season with the Mountaineers hunting for that first-place finish.
As the 2021-2022 OCAA season draws near, Burns has rounded out her staff that will help on their quest to becoming one of the premiere programs in the province.
Evan St. Hilaire, Jade Addai and Jerald Greenidge will all join Burns behind the bench for the upcoming 2021-2022 season.
Evan St. Hilaire was on staff this past year. Burns says his skill development will be a huge piece in the growth of their athletes.
"Evan has previously played at the collegiate level and now serves as a skills trainer and youth basketball coach," says Burns. "He is a knowledgeable coach and is great at the skill development of athletes which will add to the success of our women's basketball program."
St. Hilaire played five seasons in the OCAA for the Fleming Knights and has since transitioned into the coaching side of the sport. He's been the head coach of Canada Elite's U14 team for one season and spent another season as the head coach of Vytis Basketball's U13 team, an all-girls program in Oakville.
A recent addition to the staff, Jade Addai also played her college days in the OCAA at U of T – Mississauga (UTM). Burns says Addai was a force on the court during her playing days and she looks forward to seeing the energy Addai will bring to the staff.
"Jade is a first-year coach who will be an asset to our program. Jade was the OCAA league leading scorer in her last collegiate year and has now transitioned into coaching at the youth level," added Burns, who coached Addai during her time at UTM. "Jade will bring energy to the coaching staff and use her collegiate playing career to assist our athletes with being successful on court."
Addai is a coach for the Mississauga Monarchs U10 team. She is also a camps coach for IBSA basketball and a coach for Lay-up Toronto Basketball.
Rounding out the staff is Jerald Greenidge, a Brampton native who spent his college playing days at the University of Guelph. Burns says Greenidge provides a wealth of knowledge and experience to the staff.
"Jerald's basketball background, both as an athlete and coach, will prove to be an asset to the team and will add to the success of our women's basketball program," says Coach Burns. "He brings experience, IQ and energy to the Mohawk women's basketball coaching staff."
The return of women's basketball to the Fennell Campus is a highly anticipated one as Burns has already set the tone for the program going forward. She knows what she wants to accomplish during her time here and she's confident she's pieced together the staff to help her do so.
The Mountaineers are excited to see the women's basketball team back in the DBARC gym and look forward to seeing where Hali Burns and her coaching staff can take the program going forward.
