Lions name McAleenan head coach of women's basketball team
York University Athletics & Recreation announced on Thursday (July 16) that Erin McAleenan has been named the head coach of the Lions women's basketball team.
York University Athletics & Recreation announced on Thursday (July 16) that Erin McAleenan has been named the head coach of the Lions women's basketball team.
McAleenan comes to York from the University of Lethbridge, where she has been the head coach of the Pronghorns for the past three seasons. In her time in Lethbridge, she guided the program to its best record in 18 years in 2012-13 while also creating an alumni association and developing the local Jr. Horns Basketball Club.
She has plenty of national and international coaching experience, most recently as an assistant coach with the Canadian cadette women's team this past year. She was also the head coach of Alberta's U17 Canada Summer Games team in 2013 and an assistant coach for Canada's Pan Am Games team in 2011.
"The hiring of Erin marks a new era for our Lions women's basketball program after 29 tremendous years under Bill Pangos," said Jennifer Myers, executive director, Athletics & Recreation. "She is a highly-motivated coach with exceptional technical and tactical knowledge, and she has the skills and determination to build a winning program here at York. I am excited to welcome Erin to the Pride and consider her hiring another example of our commitment to excellence and to building a championship culture at York."
Prior to entering the coaching ranks, McAleenan had a four-year playing career at Acadia University, where she graduated with a bachelor of science degree. She went on to receive her education degree from Trent University and then her master's in coaching from the University of Alberta. She spent six years as a high school teacher in Port Hope, Ont., before beginning her post-graduate degree.
"It's always been a dream of mine to come back to Ontario after coaching and teaching here and I am thrilled to be the new head coach at York," said McAleenan. "I loved the feel of the campus on my visit, and the overall feel of togetherness and family amongst the Lions. I believe my previous experience as a head coach in the CIS will be a big asset as I transition to the OUA and I am looking forward to meeting the team and getting to work this fall."
McAleenan will be at the Canadian U15 and U17 championships in Edmonton at the end of July before heading east. She will make her OUA regular season debut with the Lions on Saturday, Nov. 7 when the Lions play their season opener against the Queen's Gaels in Kingston, Ont.
Source: York Lions
