The Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks have found a replacement head coach for former coach, Gary Crossley, who had been at the helm since the start of the 2009-10 season.
Crossley announced that last season would be his final. That’s when the hunt for a new coach began.
Laurier’s department of athletics and recreation wasted little time and have found their new bench boss for the men’s curling team, Matt Wilkinson. After the team’s success last year, it was crucial to find a well suited replacement.
Wilkinson is a seasoned coach and player of OUA curling, as well as assists with the Ontario Junior curling tour.
Wilkinson took up curling at age nine, when his dad took him to a recreational session at his local curling club in Dundas and he was immediately hooked.
He continued pursuing his passion through high school and furthermore at Brock University, where he attended studied accounting and played as a member of the varsity curling team, winning the OUA championships in the 2006-07 season.
Since graduating from Brock University, Wilkinson has continued to stay heavily involved in the sport by coaching the Brock Badgers from 2010 through 2015 and the Guelph Gryphons for the 2015-16 season.
Wilkinson is excited to join the Golden Hawks this season, a team that he has many memories battling with throughout the years.
“Laurier was one of our biggest rivals,” he said.
Wilkinson is quite familiar with the team through his experience in the OUA, however he has never had the opportunity to coach them until now.
“Excellence is what we strive for,” said Wilkinson, who is once again hoping to bring the Golden Hawks back to being OUA champions.
It is important to note that there is a full turnover for the men’s varsity curling team this season, as last season’s athletes have all graduated.
Wilkinson stressed, in reference to the new recruits, “We’re not starting from scratch but we do have some limited experience.”
Wilkinson is excited to get the 2016-17 school year underway and is looking forward to the challenges that this season will bring while coaching a new team and getting to know a new school.