HAMILTON, Ont. - Following 18 years and 17 seasons as the head coach of the Mohawk Mountaineers men's basketball program, Brian Jonker has officially announced his retirement.
Jonker, who had a luxurious playing career as a Mountaineer between 1992-94, began his head coaching tenure at Mohawk in 2005.
In his 17 seasons at the helm Jonker won 312 total games, had 180 regular season wins (a Mohawk record across all sports), won two OCAA Championships, five overall conference medals, coached the Mountaineers to three CCAA National Championship appearances, winning a national title once, and was named an OCAA West Division Coach of the Year two times.
Jonker always saw himself landing in the coaching world once his playing career was done, saying the competition of the sport was something he enjoyed.
"After my playing days were done I saw it as a way to continue to compete," Jonker said. "Dennis Kings got me started at Assumption College in Brantford and Laurie Cahill brought me back to Mohawk after gaining nine years of experience at the high school level."
Over the course of nine years with Assumption, Jonker won 205 games as the secondary school head coach. Included in that total was four city titles, five CWOSSA Championships and an OFSAA bronze medal.
Jonker would meet his wife Stacey at Mohawk when they both played basketball for the Mountaineers and the two would get married soon after. When the head coaching position opened up at the college where Jonker once held the all-time three-pointers made record, the former student-athlete knew it was an opportunity made for him.
"When I told my wife the job was open at Mohawk I told her I wanted to go win a National Championship at our alma mater," Jonker said. "Looking back that may have been an ambitious goal but we were fortunate to accomplish it."
During his tenure the Mountaineers only finished with a record below .500 four times in 17 seasons and never in consecutive seasons.
Jonker would guide the program to OCAA Gold in the 2011-12 season and in that same year the Mountaineers would earn the programs first-ever CCAA National Championship.
"I could make a long list of special memories, but winning the National Championship would be at the top of the list," Jonker said.
The National Championship anniversary lands on St. Patrick's Day every year and this March 17 will mark the 11-year anniversary.
"(Winning Nationals) happened on St. Patrick's Day so that holds a special spot on our calendar as a team," Jonker said. "Most of us are still in contact. We send out a 'Happy Anniversary' message every year in our group chat. We will always have that lifelong bond."
The athletes Jonker coached during that Nationals run, and the athletes before and after them, continue to hold a special spot in his heart.
"I don't think anyone has success without building relationships and the ones I have forged over the course of my 27 years are the most special thing about coaching," Jonker said. "To be able to see people go from young men to fathers and successful members of the community is special."
The season after winning both the OCAA and CCAA championships, Jonker and the Mountaineers would be back in the conference gold game but could not repeat, earning the silver. They would again return to the OCAA Championship game in the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons, winning gold in the former and silver in the latter seasons. Mohawk would play at the National tournament both those two seasons, with a top-four CCAA finish during the 2014-15 campaign.
The 2022-23 season, Jonker's final year, saw the team finish with a 14-4 record and they posted the best offensive production in the conference. Mohawk would play to a 2-1 record at the OCAA Championship tournament, winning a bronze medal to close out Jonker's tenure.
"This was the perfect team to finish my career," Jonker said. "I have never had a group one through 13 that cared about each other, were as coachable, took ownership of the team and solved issues like this one did."
He added that it was a mature group and that he enjoyed every minute with them.
"There is some symmetry in the finish for me," Jonker added. "The last high school team I ever coached also won a provincial bronze medal."
Jonker's time as both a student-athlete and head coach at Mohawk will definitely see him one day land in the Mountaineer Hall of Fame.
"Brian is the type of coach every Athletic Department dreams to have running their varsity programs," said Director of Athletics and Recreation, Matthew Ferreira. "His tenure with the Mountaineers will have him go down as one of the greatest coach's this college will ever see."
The next chapter of Jonker's life will include competitive senior amateur golf.
"I am going to get my competitive fix through golf," Jonker said. "I have a couple years until I am officially senior amateur age and I want to prepare to play competitively."
An overall sports fan, Jonker is also looking forward to taking in sporting events all over the world between September through March, which he typically would not have been able to do due to coaching.
"I will also still be excited to come and watch Mountaineer games as a spectator," Jonker concluded.
The Mountaineers family thanks Jonker for his time as an athlete, coach and mentor.
Once A Mountaineer, Always A Mountaineer.