The Coach K Challenge was established in 2021 as one of the initiatives to commemorate the retirement of long-time STFX men’s basketball coach and Acadia basketball alumnus Steve Konchalski. The Coach K Challenge features one regular season game between the Acadia Axemen and STFX X-Men on an annual basis The game is hosted on a rotational basis between the two schools where the winning team takes home the ‘Coach K Challenge Cup’ trophy.

Steve Konchalski has extensive ties with both Acadia and STFX, having played for the Axemen, leading them to four conference titles and a national championship title in 1965 where he was chosen tournament MVP. He went on to coach the X-Men for 46 seasons where he became the winningest men’s basketball coach in Canadian university sport history, winning three national championships and nine AUS conference championships, amongst many awards and accolades. Coach K is a member of both the Acadia and STFX Sports Hall of Fame and has a lasting legacy spanning across national and international basketball scenes.

History of Coach K Challenge Games

X-Men student-athletes Azaro Roker and Justin Andrew accept the inagural Coach K Challenge Cup trophy in 2021.