(WOLFVILLE, N.S.) - Acadia University and the department of athletics announced on March 30, 2015 the hiring of Len Harvey as the new head coach of the women's basketball team, replacing retired head coach Bev Greenlaw.
Harvey, who graduated from Acadia University in 2003, will depart Mount Royal University in Calgary to lead the Axewomen beginning April 7, 2015. Harvey has led the Mount Royal Cougars in Canada West competition for the past two seasons after the university joined Canadian Interuniversity Sport in 2012.
"My family and I are overjoyed to be moving to the Valley to be part of such a proud university and athletic department. Very few people in our profession get the opportunity to take a job that is a perfect fit for them and I wasn't going to leave Mount Royal University for just any job," Harvey said.
"This position is a dream situation for me and my family. Returning to the place I spent four unforgettable years as a student is a dream come true. I believe I will be able to share my experiences with future and current student-athletes to create a passion and connection for Acadia that I have deeply felt after my experience as a student."
Acadia's director of athletics, Kevin Dickie, is thrilled. "We had a number of impressive and experienced coaches interested in the position. What separated Len, and inspired us, is that he shared the same vision we have of taking Acadia women's basketball to another level," Dickie said.
"Len is leaving a strong, up-and-coming program that he helped to build. That passion and desire to return to Acadia is very exciting," Dickie noted. "Len is a person with tremendous integrity, and the Harvey family will be a great addition to our community, where basketball is front and centre."
Harvey hopes to build on a program that has deep roots in the community and AUS basketball. "I want to express my gratitude to Kevin and his staff for believing in me for this position. I am confident that we have a shared vision for this program and how it fits into the storied tradition of Acadia Athletics," he said.
"This was a vision built by former players at Acadia, and coaches like Bev (Greenlaw), Angie (MacLeod), and Laura (Sanders). I believe we can honour the past by connecting with alumni, and continue to take the women's basketball program to new heights with the existing players and our future recruits."
A native of Baddeck, N.S., Harvey is more than familiar with Nova Scotia basketball and Atlantic University Sport, and has an array of coaching experience at the provincial and university level.
While an assistant coach with Cape Breton Capers men's team under head coach Matt Skinn and former head coach Thom Gillespie from 2011-13, Harvey was the head coach of the Nova Scotia women's Canada Games basketball team from 2011-13. He was also an assistant coach with the Cape Breton women's team from 2009-11 under head coach Fabian McKenzie.
As an assistant at Cape Breton, Harvey won a men's AUS championship under Skinn in 2013. He won a bronze medal at the CIS championships in 2011 and two AUS championships with the women's Capers under McKenzie in 2010 and 2011.
Harvey began his time with Basketball Nova Scotia in 2008 as an assistant with the boys' under-16 provincial team. In 2009 and 2010, Harvey was named head coach of under-16 boys and under-14 girls respectively.
Harvey will announce his coaching staff in the near future.