Deanna Simpson with the Kodiaks (Photo: Kodiaks Athletics)

By Justin Goulet

Kodiaks women’s basketball head coach steps down

Mar 19, 2020 | 9:20 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The search is on for a new coach to lead the Lethbridge College Kodiaks women’s basketball team.

After three seasons with the club, Deanna Simpson has announced she’s stepping down from the post. A release from Kodiaks Athletics stated that Simpson and her husband are expecting their first child soon.

“I have enjoyed being the head coach for the past three years as I was provided an opportunity to pass on my experiences to a younger generation,” Simpson stated in the release.

“Having been part of the Kodiaks for the past seven years, both as an athlete and a coach, I was happy to do my best to carry on the winning tradition that had previously been established.”

Simpson noted that as much as coaching is about teaching, there were many times where she actually learned from her athletes on the team.

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Manager of Kodiaks Athletics Todd Caughlin praised Simpson’s hard work over the years.

“Deanna came in as a rookie coach with the added challenge of coming off an undefeated and national championship season and had to rebuild essentially the entire program,” he said.

“Coming in as a new head coach is a tough enough challenge but Deanna faced those challenges head-on. The changes she implemented have proven themselves with the recent positive results experienced by the women’s basketball program.”

As a player, Simpson suited up for the Kodiaks from 2013 to 2015 and helped the team capture an ACAC championship and national silver medal during the 2014-2015 season.

She then spent two seasons as an assistant coach with Lethbridge College. During that timespan, the Kodiaks went 50-1 and won a CCAA national championship in 2017.

Following that championship win, she was named the team’s head coach. After an initial season of rebuilding, she helped lead the team to a pair of ACAC playoff appearances.

This past season, Simpson was named the 2020 ACAC south division coach of the year.