Francis, Eniojukan named first Ridgebacks basketball head coaches
Christa Eniojukan and Greg Francis have been selected as the first head coaches of UOIT’s women’s and men’s basketball teams. (Photos supplied)
The University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) has announced Greg Francis and Christa Eniojukan as the first basketball head coaches for the programs inaugural Ontario University Athletics (OUA) seasons in 2019-20.
Both step into their roles following UOIT’s OUA basketball expansion announcement this past May.
Francis comes into the new position of UOIT men’s basketball head coach familiar with the basketball landscape throughout Canada. He has spent the past three years as Canada Basketball’s men’s high-performance manager and technical director.
In this role he established and implemented specific target models and assisted with development programs such as targeted athletes, junior academy and provincial curriculum. A highlight for Francis during this period includes Canada winning gold at the 2017 FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup, the best-ever result for the men’s basketball program at a FIBA tournament.
It is an absolute honour to be entrusted with building the UOIT basketball program,” said Francis. “My hope is to structure this team as part of the overall UOIT community and to develop a championship environment that will be contagious to every student, athlete, coach and staff throughout the entire campus.”
The Toronto native is no stranger to the OUA and U SPORTS ranks having also served as head coach with the University of Waterloo Warriors from 2013 to 2015 and the University of Alberta Golden Bears from 2009 to 2012.
Eniojukan brings with her a strong provincial pedigree having served as Ontario Basketball’s U17 Team Ontario head coach from 2014 to 2017.
Coordinating training camps, exhibition schedules and fundraisers, she handled all aspects of the programs development and success beyond just the game day preparations. Under her guidance the Team Ontario program captured national gold in 2015 and 2016, and silver in 2014 and 2017. She also served as an assistant coach with the programs national championship winning teams in 2012 and 2013.
An NCCP Level 3 certified coach, Eniojukan most recently served as head coach with the ASAD Durham Elite of the Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association. Overseeing daily training as part of the newly established prep team, she instituted Ontario Basketball and Basketball Canada Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) models to the program.
In addition to her work at the provincial level, Eniojukan has also been a figure within Canada Basketball since 2010, assisting as a target athlete coach. In this role she works with individual athletes from across the country in developing strength and conditioning programs, mental training exercises, and tactical and technical skill development.
“I’m very excited and humbled by this opportunity,” said Eniojukan. “UOIT has become such a part of the Durham community and to have the chance to help build, develop, and execute a successful basketball program with the Ridgebacks is an absolute honour.”
UOIT athletic director Scott Barker is proud to have Francis and Eniojukan on as the program’s inaugural coaches.
“Greg brings with him an ability to lead every aspect of a program because of the immeasurable amount of experience he possesses, from being an Olympic calibre player himself, to his work coaching at the highest levels and managing a national sporting organizations development,” Barker says.
We believe Christa’s background working with athletes as both a coach and a teacher will be hugely beneficial to our student-athletes, along with her incredibly successful experience as a coach at various levels,” he adds.