Kathy Shields shares coaching excellence award
- Patty Pitts
Legendary former UVic Vikes women’s basketball coach Kathy Shields was among those honoured at this year’s annual Canadian Interuniversity Sport awards dinner in Victoria in June.
Shields was the co-recipient, with UBC former soccer coach Dick Mosher, of the Jean-Marie de Koninck Coaching Excellence Award presented since 2007 to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to university sport. She joined the UVic women’s basketball program as an assistant coach in 1977/78 following a successful playing career with the UBC Thunderbirds and the Canadian national team.
Shields became the Vikes’ head coach a year later. In 21 campaigns at the helm of UVic, the team won 14 Canada West titles and eight CIS banners—an all-time record in women’s basketball. She was named CIS coach of the year on three occasions and received the same honour at the conference level eight times.
Shields was a previous inductee into the Canada Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003 and is also a member of the UVic Sports Hall of Fame, the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame, and the BC Basketball Hall of Fame.
