VANCOUVER - The University of British Columbia Department of Athletics and Recreation, in conjunction with the Pacific Dolphins Swim Association, are pleased to announce that
Steve Price has been hired as the Head Coach for both the UBC Thunderbirds varsity team and Pacific Dolphins swim club.
Price, a Vancouver native, comes to UBC following a successful stint with the Edmonton Keyano Swim Club where he has been head coach and director of swimming since 2007.
It will be a homecoming of sorts for Price who returns to the program where he served as senior coach from 1998 to 2006 and is looking forward to preparing the swimmers for the run up to the Olympic Games next year in London.
“I am very excited to be coming back to Vancouver to take on the Head Coaching duties of the UBC Thunderbirds and UBC Dolphins. The timing of this opportunity is great as we prepare for London 2012. I was very much part of the success of the program in the late 90's and the first part of 2000 as an Assistant Coach so to have the chance to work again with such great Swimmers and Staff in a winning environment is fantastic. I am confident I can lead in the ongoing success of the UBC Swimming program and I'm convinced that our future looks very bright.”
Price will officially take the reigns of the Thunderbirds and Dolphins in early September and Tom Johnson, UBC's technical director of swimming, will continue to serve as interim coach until his arrival in the fall.
"We are excited to have Steve back in the UBC fold and we're looking forward to continuing to build upon the success of the UBC Varsity and Pacific Dolphins programs," said Johnson. "Steve brings vast experience, commitment and passion, through a team approach, to the development of individual and team excellence."
Theresa Hanson, UBC's Associate Director of Intercollegiate and High Performance Sport, is also excited about the newest member of the T-Bird coaching staff.
"Steve brings exactly what we look for in a coach to the UBC program," Said Hanson. "He brings knowledge, a drive to win, a strong work ethic and dedication to both the athletes and the program that will ensure the Thunderbirds continue to be the forerunners of swimming in Canada."
In Edmonton, Price led a revival of the once dominant program and oversaw the development of numerous swimmers who have gone on to compete internationally, including breaststroker Richard Funk and distance swimmer Kier Maitland who will both represent Canada at the Universiade in Shenzhen, China, from Aug. 13-19 where Price is currently serving as an assistant coach.
With Price comes a wealth of international coaching experience as, in addition to coaching at this summer's Universiade, he is a veteran of two Olympic games having served as a staff coach at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta and as a personal coach at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.
While leaving Edmonton was a tough decision for Price the professional opportunity presented by UBC and the Pacific Dolphins was too good to pass up.
"The prospect of working again with National Swim Centre coach Tom Johnson, Swim Centre coach Joseph Nagy and UBC Dolphin coach Tom Rushton is what helped me decide to take the position," added Price. "All are excellent coaches and I feel I can compliment them in delivering one of the best swimming opportunities available in Canada from club, varsity, post grad and professional levels."
The UBC Thunderbirds varsity teams have dominated the CIS landscape over the past 12 seasons with the men's and women's programs winning 22 national championships over that time while producing three world record holders, dozens of Olympians and international swimmers, and even more senior national champions.
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