STFX’s Coach K named Honorary Chair of 2024 AUS Basketball Championships

HALIFAX, N.S. – Atlantic University Sport is pleased to announce that the legendary Coach K, Steve Konchalski, will serve as the Honorary Chair for the 2024 AUS Basketball Championships.

Konchalski retired in 2021 after coaching the StFX X-Men for a remarkable 46 seasons, winning a combined 919 regular season, playoff and non-conference games. On nine occasions, Coach K's teams hoisted the very same AUS Men's Basketball Championship banner that will be handed out on Feb. 25.

"It is my honour to be invited to be the Honorary Chair of the 2024 AUS Basketball Championships. Having had the amazing experience of having coached in this Championship Tournament for 43 years, I certainly appreciate the excitement around this weekend both from players as well as from fans," said Konchalski. "Nowhere in Canada is the atmosphere in the Scotiabank Centre duplicated, where 12 teams from four provinces come together to battle for Atlantic Conference supremacy and a ticket to the U SPORTS National Finals. I wish the best of luck to all the participants – you will cherish these memories for a lifetime.

"To the fans, it is you that have made this annual event what it is – thank you for supporting the AUS Basketball Championships year after year!"

Originally from Elmhurst, NY, Konchalski came to Canada to play post-secondary basketball. He led the Acadia Axemen to a national title in 1965 before graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree, and then an LL.B from Dalhousie Law School.

Coaching stints with Acadia's junior varsity team and Loyola College (Montreal) led him to be hired by StFX in 1975 as head coach of their men's basketball program. It is a role he would hold for 46 seasons – 43 of which included trips to the AUS playoffs.

In addition to his nine AUS titles (1981, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006), Coach K's teams won three U SPORTS national titles (1993, 2000, 2001).

He was named AUS Coach of the Year on six occasions (1983, 1991, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2006) and U SPORTS Coach of the Year once (2001).

"It is a great privilege to invite Coach K to join us as the Honorary Chair of this year's championship. He is without a doubt a basketball Icon, so to have him serve in this capacity now seems like the perfect outcome of his incredible contributions to this event and the AUS", said Phil Currie, AUS President and CEO. "His name is synonymous with basketball, and certainly AUS basketball; and his impact on the game is something that will continue to be felt both here and across Canada for years to come. We look forward to having he and Charlene with us all weekend."

The 2024 AUS Basketball Championships run Feb. 23-25 at the Scotiabank Centre. To purchase tickets, go to aushoops.ca