Defensive lineman Kaishaun Carter (left) and receiver/return man Jason Soriano are two of B.C.'s blue-chip graduating Class of 2020 set to begin their university football careers next season with the UBC Thunderbirds. (Photos by Howard Tsumura, Varsity Letters, and Richard Lam, UBC athletics. All Rights Reserved. Photo graphic by Gabriel Lynn)
Feature High School Football University Football

A Sunday Read: UBC football coach Blake Nill says Jason Soriano, Kaishaun Carter “…the ones who can make you Coach of the Year”

VANCOUVER — UBC Thunderbirds football in the Blake Nill-era hit its low ebb in 2019, yet four seasons after its rousing, unexpected 2015 Vanier Cup national championship title debut, a second wind has begun to blow through the ranks of the blue and gold.

UBC Thunderbirds head coach Blake Nill, along with the rest of the 'Bird football staff, will go on-line Wednesday to introduce the blue-and-gold program to over 100 current Grades 11 high school standouts as part of its virtual Junior Day. (Photo by Richard Lam property of UBC athletics 2020. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Football University Football

UBC football 2020: ‘Birds hold ‘virtual’ Junior Day on Wednesday as pandemic forces teams to think outside the box

VANCOUVER — Like all programs headed towards the fall sports season of play, the UBC Thunderbirds football team is keeping the health of everyone involved first and foremost during the coronavirus pandemic.

Two generation of UBC point guards, fifth-year senior Jadon Cohee and head coach Kevin Hanson, have had a meeting of the minds en route to the team's three game sweep through the conference playoffs. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of VarsityLetters.ca 2020. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Boys Basketball University Men's Basketball

U Sports Final 8 preview: Kevin Hanson, a former UBC point guard, steps out of his coaching box to bring out best in ‘Birds floor general Jadon Cohee!

VANCOUVER — There is a little part of Kevin Hanson the player, who still remembers what it was like, some 33 years ago, to be part of a team which was able to catch lightning in a bottle.Today, he’s 20 seasons into his journey as the head coach of the UBC Thunderbirds, but back in […]

Just in time, UBC's fifth-year senior Jadon Cohee led the 'Birds to their best game-closing fourth quarter of the season in an upset win over the host Calgary Dinos in the Canada West semifinals on Saturday. With the win, Cohee and the 'Birds have qualified for the U Sports Final 8. (Photo by David Moll property of Calgary Dinos' athletics 2020. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Men's Basketball

A Sunday Read: How UBC played its two best fourth-quarters of season on back-to-back nights to punch its tickets to U Sports’ Final 8!

There was a moment during the final time-out of the UBC Thunderbirds’ 88-77 Canada West men’s basketball quarterfinal win over the Saskatchewan Huskies on Friday night which seems especially relevant this morning.

UBC head coach Kevin Hanson wants his star senior Jason Cohee "...to just be himself" when the 'Birds open against Saskatchewan on Friday as part of the Canada West's revamped post-season format. (Photo by Bob Frid property of UBC athletics 2020. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Men's Basketball

UBC men’s basketball: Thunderbirds’ head coach Kevin Hanson weighs the pros and cons of new Canada West playoff format

VANCOUVER — The eight remaining Canada West men’s basketball teams have no margin for error under the conference’s new and radically-revamped playoff system.

When UBC head coach Deb Huband cut down the nets back in 2004, she was bringing the Bronze baby back to Point Grey for the first time in 30 years. (Photo by Richard Lam property of UBC athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Women's Basketball

From Debbie to Deb: How UBC’s iconic women’s hoop coach Huband has found balance on her journey towards a signature milestone

VANCOUVER — If playing and coaching represent the two sides of the basketball brain, then a life well-lived in both is a life which has achieved a rare level of balance… in some cases as spherically-perfect as the ball itself.

Now in his 20th season as UBC head coach, Kevin Hanson sits one win away from the Canada West's all-time conference wins record. (Photo by Richard Lam property of UBC athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Fraser Valley freshman guard Jessica Parker, the former PoCo-Riverside standout, announced herself on the U Sports circuit Saturday in the Cascades win over visiting UBC at Envision Athletic Centre. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of VarsityLetters.ca 2019. All Rights Reserved) (Photo by Vancouver Sports Pictures property of VSP 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Women's Basketball

UFV Women’s Basketball: Forget the Fab Five! Cascades’ freshman-filled Fab Four combine for 50 points in win over UBC

ABBOTSFORD — Don’t hold it against Jessica Parker just because she doesn’t know the history of the Fab Five.After all, the Fraser Valley Cascades’ high-scoring pure freshman guard wasn’t even born when Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Ray Jackson and Jimmy King arrived on the scene, baggy shorts and all, way back in 1991, […]

As Calgary Dinos' keeper Lauren Houghton (left) looks on, UBC's Natasha Klasios (right) congratulates teammate Danielle Steer on scoring what held to be the winning goal in Sunday's U Sports national women' soccer final staged at UVic's Centennial Stadium. (Photo by Richard Lam property of UBC athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Women's Soccer

UBC women’s soccer: In homage to program architect Dick Mosher, ‘Birds win a national title on weird but wondrous 80th-minute header

VICTORIA — The video replays proved inconclusive, but did the goal which lifted the UBC Thunderbirds to the top of Canadian university soccer world Sunday night in Victoria actually graze in off of Danielle Steer’s ponytail?“No,” the UBC Thunderbirds’ third-year forward and championship MVP explained in the aftermath of the biggest goal of her life. […]

After four years in the NCAA Div. 1 basketball world, former Bellevue (Wash.) High ace shooter Zack Moore has brought a more expansive game north of the line to the UBC Thunderbirds. (Photo by Bob Frid property of UBC athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Men's Basketball

As ‘Birds prepare Friday welcome for Dinos at War, UBC coach Hanson calls new NCAA D1 transfer Zack Moore “…our secret golden nugget”

VANCOUVER — Zack Moore is more, more, more than just a three-point shooter.And while UBC head coach Kevin Hanson certainly appreciates the rare opportunity to bring in a fourth-year, NCAA Div. 1-transfer who has already proven he can step outside the arc and get his fill from distance, it seems quite clear that the Thunderbirds […]