Coach Konchalski hits 800 win milestone

Antigonish, NS—StFX men’s basketball head coach Steve Konchalski earned his 800th career victory with an 87-68 win over the UNB Varsity Reds Saturday evening on home court at the StFX Oland Centre.

“I am very proud of the accomplishment,” comments the veteran coach. “My original goal when I came to StFX was to produce high-caliber teams year in and year out, so this milestone is a good measurement of the success of that goal.”

With two wins over UNB this weekend, Coach Konchalksi’s X-Men remain undefeated this season with a 7-0 record and are currently ranked second in the nation. Konchalski continues, “My main focus now is on the remainder of the AUS season. We are off to a strong start this year and it could be a special year, I am really looking forward to it.”

The milestone win came in Konchalski’s 37th season, all of which have been spent behind the helm of the StFX X-Men. He currently has an all-time overall career coaching record (regular season, playoffs and non-conference) of 800 wins and 410 losses, coaching in over 1200 CIS games and he is the winningest coach in CIS history.

Coach Konchalski has led the X-Men to 14 appearances at the CIS championship and has won three national titles (1993, 2000 and 2001). His X-Men have made 35 consecutive AUS playoff appearances and won nine AUS championship titles. Coach K was named the 2001 CIS Coach of the Year, has been honored as AUS Coach of the Year on six occasions, and in 2010 received the CIS Jean-Marie DeKoninck Coaching Excellence award.

Outside of his StFX coaching experience, Konchalski served as the Canadian national team head coach for four years (1995-98) and assistant coach for 16 years (1973-1988), participating in three Olympic Games (1976, 1984, and 1988). He is currently an advisor to the national team program as a member of the Basketball Canada Council of Excellence.
 
As a player, Konchalski led Acadia University to a national title in 1965 where he was named tournament MVP. A native of Elmhurst, NY, Coach K has been inducted into the StFX Sports Hall of Fame (2008, 2001), Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame (2007), Acadia Sports Hall of Fame (1994), Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame (1993) and was honored as the inaugural recipient of the Frank Baldwin Memorial Award for dedication to basketball in Nova Scotia in 1999.

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