MA News: Canada Appoints Men's Soccer Coaching Staff for the 2007 Summer Universiade
April 24th, 2007
Pat Raimondo, Men's Soccer Head Coach for Team Canada
Canadian Interuniversity Sport announced the general manager and coaching staff for men’s football that will travel to the 2007 Universiade in Bangkok, Thailand (August 8-18). With 70 years of CIS coaching experience between them, the 2007 men’s football staff features five CIS Coach of the Year award winners. Collectively, the representatives have made 25 CIS National Championship appearances and have won five CIS National Championships. Lou Bilek of St. Francis Xavier will serve as the team’s general manager. He has 37 years of coaching experience at St. FX where he won CIS Coach of the Year honours in 1988 and 1993. During his tenure, Bilek’s teams made three CIS National Championship appearances. Montreal’s Pat Raimondo will be Canada’s Head Coach in 2007. Raimondo, a two-time CIS Coach of the Year in 2000 with McGill and 2003 with Montreal, has 12 years of CIS coaching experience. His teams have made 10 CIS National Championship appearances and in 1997, his McGill squad won the national title.
Assistant Coaches for Raimondo will be Rock Basacco of the University of Western Ontario and the University of British Columbia’s Mike Mosher. Basacco, a four-time OUA Coach of the Year (1997, 1999, 2002 & 2004) has won six OUA Championships with the Mustangs. The 1999 CIS Coach of the Year has advanced to six CIS National Championships in his 10-year tenure, capturing gold in 1998 and 1999. His 1996 squad also medaled, winning silver, while his 2004 team took home bronze. Mosher has 11 year of head coaching experience at UBC. His Thunderbirds squads have advanced to three CIS National Championship finals (1997, 2001 & 2005), winning gold in 2005. He was also an assistant coach for two years at UBC, helping the Thunderbirds capture a CIS National Championship in 1994. During his own playing career, Mosher advanced to three CIAU National Championships (1989, 1990 & 1991), captained the 1991-92 Canadian Olympic team and was a member of the 1995 Canadian team at the 1995 Universiade in Fukuoka, Japan.
The Canadians return to the Universiade in men’s football after failing to qualify for the 2005 tournament in Izmir, Turkey. Since an appearance in Japan in 1995, Canada has fielded teams at the Universiade only once, finishing 15th in Daegu, South Korea in 2003. That year, the Canadians upset university powerhouse, China (2-1), in their opening game before suffering four straight losses to Uruguay, Iran, South Africa and Mexico. The team defeated Nigeria (3-2) to finish 15th. Canada will play in a pool with the Czech Republic, Ireland and host Thailand at the 2007 Universiade.
