DAWKINS NAMED HEAD COACH OF GEORGE BROWN MEN'S BASKETBALL PROGRAM

DAWKINS NAMED HEAD COACH OF GEORGE BROWN MEN'S BASKETBALL PROGRAM

TORONTO - George Brown men's basketball is pleased to announce the appointment of Jason Dawkins as head coach.

"I am excited to accept the men's head coaching position at George Brown College," said Dawkins. "I have been active as a player, coach and referee in the Canadian basketball community for over 20 years. My strength is in taking a group of young men who have been highly successful in their respective careers, bringing them together as a group and ensuring they gel at the right time."

A graduate from George Brown's Business Management program in 1999, he was also the college's Male Athlete of the Year. Coming full circle means a lot to the newest member of the Huskies' coaching family.

"I'm humbled to have the opportunity to come back and complete the cycle as a student-athlete and now the head coach at George Brown," said Dawkins. "It means the world to me to be able to return and give back to a place that helped shaped me as a young man."

Dawkins arrives with a long and impressive history of developing talent, most recently as an assistant coach for Team Canada at the FIBA U16 Americas Championships earlier this month. The Canadians finished second in the eight-team tournament, qualifying for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2020 in Bulgaria where the veteran coach will look to once again represent his country with the Cadet National Team.

Dawkins has also done extensive work at the provincial level, capturing six gold medals and one silver with Team Ontario between 2010 to 2017, capped by a gold medal at the Canada Summer Games in 2017. He has also been Ontario Basketball's Men's Technical Lead since 2014.

In addition to his George Brown diploma, Dawkins has multiple degrees from Brandon University. He graduated in 2002 with a Bachelor of General Studies, majoring in physical education and minoring in social studies, followed by his Bachelor of Education in 2004.

"Jason Dawkins is a seasoned veteran in the basketball coaching community and we're thrilled to have him make his way back to the Huskies. The championship-level experience he's had will be invaluable to a program that's striving to get back to that National stage again," said Manager of Athletics Melanie Gerin-Lajoie. "And as a long-time educator in the Toronto high school system, we couldn't have found a better fit for our student-athletes both on and off the court."

In addition to his long resume with Team Canada, Dawkins was an assistant coach with Ryerson University from 2009-2012 and has been the convener of both the Toronto Raptors and Triple Threat Basketball Camps. 

"Basketball has been such an integral part of my life that I can't imagine not being a coach," added Dawkins. "I  have also enjoyed taking on a leadership role in the basketball community, working with other coaches towards developing young elite athletes."     

The Huskies men's basketball program is coming off a 17-3 regular season, and are a combined 54-6 over the past three regular seasons. In 2016-17 George Brown won a provincial silver medal and qualified for the national championship.

For more information on George Brown men's basketball and upcoming tryouts for the 2019-20 season, contact Athletics and Recreation Coordinator Mark Couch at mark.couch@georgebrown.ca.

Source: George Brown Huskies