What to Expect as the Marauders Gear Up for the 2025–2026 Season
September: Honour McMaster Legend at Tribute Basketball Game
McMaster will host its annual Homecoming football game on Sept. 20, 2025 against the Guelph Gryphons. The Marauders football team are heading into the year coming off a 4-4 season. They are looking to take the next step under head coach Stefan Ptaszek.
With older talent gone such as DeEmetrius Masuka, a younger core is expected to step up. “Most of our starters coming in are first, second and third-year players who need to step into their roles as starters and leaders,” said Ptaszek.
Most of our starters coming in are first, second and third-year players who need to step into their roles as starters and leaders.
Stefan Ptaszek,Head Coach ,
McMaster Marauders Football Team
According to Ptaszek, the quarterback position is up for grabs this season. Luke Thalman, a third-year from Winnipeg, and Lucas Barresi, are both coming off a promising freshman season and are eyeing the role.
Later in the month, McMaster will celebrate the career of the legendary Theresa Burns. The retired women’s basketball head coach will be honoured on Sept. 27 with a special tribute game on campus. Here, the Marauders will face the University of Saskatchewan Huskies with both teams led by Burns’ former players: Isabel Ormond, now the Marauders' new head coach, and Lisa Thomaidis, head coach of the Huskies.
Eric Bourque, interim associate director of athletics, sat down to discuss this event and others coming this year.
“It’s a really amazing dynamic to have two incredible McMaster alumni coaching, paying tribute to the years of commitment and success Theresa has brought to the women’s basketball program,” said Bourque.
It’s a really amazing dynamic to have two incredible McMaster alumni coaching, paying tribute to the years of commitment and success Theresa has brought to the women’s basketball program.
Eric Bourque, Interim Associate Director,
McMaster University Athletics
October: Basketball Season Begins
The men's and women's basketball teams will kickoff their season around October.
The women's team, heading into a season with new coach Isabel Ormond and OUA all-star Amy Stinson, are coming off their previous season with a
The men's team, led by head coach Patrick Tatham, is hoping to bounce back from last season where they placed
November: National Stage Comes to Hamilton
In November 2025, McMaster will host the women’s soccer U Sports championships, bringing some of the country’s best university athletes to Hamilton. The 2025 U Sports Women’s Soccer Championship will kick off at the Ron Joyce Stadium on McMaster's main campus from Nov. 6 to 9, 2025.
The Varsity Women’s Soccer Team will head into the championship after an 8-2-2 season last year, including a dominant 6-1 record at the Ron Joyce Stadium. Led by head coach Garrett Peters now in his third full season, the team looks to build on its home-field success.
We’re really excited about the opportunity with Women’s Soccer... the launch of the Northern Super League, gives us a chance to showcase incredible talent on a big platform
Eric Bourque, Interim Associate Director,
McMaster University Athletics
The Marauders' Cross Country/Distance Track teams will
January and February: Curling and Fencing
January marks the start of the Marauders' curling and fencing teams' competitive seasons.
The curling team is coming off a successful previous season, with the women's team earning
The fencing team also impressed the athletics community last season, with the men's team earning bronze in the team epee event at the OUA Championship and the women's team earning silver at the team foil event. Standout Oscar Hand earned silver for the Marauders in the OUA individual epee tournament.
March and April: Volleyball and Swimming
The McMaster Women’s Volleyball Team had a standout 2024–25 season, finishing 19–7 and capturing their first OUA title since 2017. They placed fifth at the U Sports Championship. Meanwhile, the men’s volleyball team wrapped up the season 8–12. With the women's team losing key player Sullie Sandara and the men's team losing Maxime Gratton, each will look to up and coming players to lead the way this season.
The McMaster Swimming team will head into the season after finishing 10th and 13th at the OUA Championship last year. Last season, both the men's and women's teams earned bronze, with standout Michelle Wang taking gold in the 50 metre butterfly.
With major matchups, national championship hosting duties and new talent emerging, the 2025–26 Marauders' athletics season will mark an eventful year for the McMaster athletics community.
Veteran Marauders basketball assistant coach Sheldon Cassimy returns as the Brantford Honey Badgers head coach for a second year
On Tuesday, Mar. 11, 2025, the Brantford Honey Badgers announced that their head coach, Sheldon Cassimy, will return for another season. Cassimy also serves as the assistant head coach for the Marauders men's basketball team.
The Honey Badgers are one of 10 teams in the Canadian Elite Basketball League, a men’s professional basketball league in Canada.
While Cassimy appreciates the Honey Badgers bringing him back, he understands there is still work to be done.
“The re-signing was great and I’m grateful for that, but I’m more so focused on taking care of business. The jitters and excitement might hit me once training camp starts, but I’m pretty even-keeled right now,” said Cassimy.
The re-signing was great and I’m grateful for that, but I’m more so focused on taking care of business.
Sheldon Cassimy
Head Coach, Brantford Honey Badgers
Cassimy has been coaching basketball since he was 19. He started as a coach for a church league, working his way up the ladder. Last March, he was announced as the new head coach for the Brantford Honey Badgers.
Despite finishing his first year with more losses than wins, Cassimy told The Silhouette that he learned valuable skills.
“From that first season, I really learned how important communication was and how to communicate better, whether it be with your players or coaching staff. It’s something I am consciously trying to get better at and I hope it can help us develop better team chemistry,” said Cassimy.
In addition to coaching the Badgers, Cassimy has served as the assistant head coach for the Marauders men's basketball team for the past four years.
“It’s been great coaching the Marauders. Being able to help and mentor these players to hopefully be pros is great and I enjoy it,” said Cassimy.
The Marauders did not finish where they wanted to last season, ending with six wins and 16 losses and missing the OUA playoffs. Still, Cassimy believes there is a lot to take away from the season.
“I feel like from the Marauder season, I’m able to learn and get better through different experiences. And I’m excited to try out different things. Whether it be new terminology, different schemes, or trying things out in practice, I'm excited to implement what I learned with the Marauders for next season with the Badgers,” said Cassimy.
Cassimy acknowledged the difficulty of coaching two separate teams. Due to his responsibilities with the Honey Badgers, he is unable to be as active as he wants to be during the Marauders’ summer training camps. Still, he praised his coaching staff for making it easier to balance both positions.
“I’m lucky to work with a great coach, Patrick Tatum, who wants his assistant head coaches to continue to grow. He makes it easy for me to do both jobs. I think being a part of the CEBL and coaching the Honey Badgers helps enhance the Marauders team. Both positions work hand-in-hand for me,” said Cassimy.
Being a part of the CEBL and coaching the Honey Badgers helps enhance the Marauders team
Sheldon Cassimy
Assistant Head Coach, McMaster Men’s Basketball
The Badgers' CEBL season will begin on May 18, 2025, when they take on the Montréal Alliance.
Despite strong performances from their stars, the Marauders men’s basketball season comes to an end with two losses
Over the weekend of Feb. 15, 2025, the McMaster Marauders men’s basketball team faced off against Toronto Metropolitan University’s Bold and the University of Toronto’s Varsity Blues in their two final games of the Ontario University Athletics season. Despite their strong efforts, the Marauders lost both games, falling 70–68 against TMU and 77–53 against the Blues.
On Saturday, Feb. 15, the Marauders played a tight game against TMU. The teams traded baskets, and despite shooting poorly from the field in the first quarter, the Marauders scored more field goals and three-pointers in the second quarter, keeping the score close at 37–35 by halftime.
In the third quarter, TMU outscored the Marauders, but clutch shots from Moody Qasim and Mike Demagus kept the game close in the fourth quarter.
In the third quarter, TMU outscored the Marauders, but clutch shots from Moody Qasim and Mike Demagus kept the game close in the fourth quarter.
Both Demagus and Qasim led the team in total points over the season, with 244 and 220, respectively. Qasim had a strong season overall, making 26 three-pointers.
Despite the Marauders’ strong efforts, the TMU Bold scored a few final, decisive points in the last seconds of the game, winning 70–68 and dropping the Marauders’ record to 6 wins and 14 losses for the season.
Despite the Marauders’ strong efforts, the TMU Bold scored a few final, decisive points in the last seconds of the game, winning 70–68 . . .
While their first game was close, the same could not be said for the second. The Marauders played the Varsity Blues at home and lost 77–53.
The Marauders had a strong first quarter, holding a 16–15 lead. Both Qasim and Demagus led the Marauders, scoring 12 and 8 points, respectively. Despite the two making pivotal shots throughout the half, the Blues proved too much to handle, outscoring them in the second quarter and ultimately securing the win.
The two losses eliminated the Marauders from OUA championship contention. They finished the season with 6 wins and 16 losses, placing them second last in their division.
Despite their results this season, the Marauders men’s basketball team will look to come back stronger next year.
Theresa Burns reflects on years coaching women’s basketball after her 607 career coaching wins, the second most by a coach in U Sport’s history
Theresa Burns started her coaching career immediately after her career as a student athlete. After four years of playing basketball for the University of Toronto, she began coaching for a university team.
“I was 24. I was coaching the university team. It was crazy. There were lots of moments of thinking, what am I doing? Talk about a steep learning curve,” said Burns.
She kicked off her career coaching the then Ryerson University's, now Toronto Metropolitan University, women’s basketball team, without any prior experience. She was encouraged to pursue the opportunity by her university head coach Michèle Bélanger. Burns detailed how her career began.
“Just towards the end of I think, May, I guess my last year she's like "you know, you should think about coaching," and I had never thought about it. And then, the following year when the Ryerson job came open, she's like, you should apply. And I was like, I'm not ready to do that, like, at all, like, not even close, but when your coach tells you to do something, you do it. It was good advice,” said Burns.
Burns said she went on to coach this team for four years before coming to McMaster in 1992. Still a young coach with little experience, Burns highlighted how McMaster’s then director of athletics and recreation, Therese Quigley, helped her to settle in.
“[I was] just really grateful that she took a chance on a young coach and I think right through those years, those early years, especially that the athletic department was very close and very tight knit and just really good people. As a young employee and a young coach, having that support and that feeling of support around you was really important and I'm really grateful for that,” said Burns.
As Burns began working with the Marauders, she started to learn even more and in the process she began to pick up better results than she had in her previous role. Her first two seasons saw Burns only pick up four wins in total, but this began to change in the 1994-1995 season.
That season saw Burns earn a total of seven wins. The next season was even more of an improvement, with the Marauders winning ten games and capturing the bronze medal in the league. After this, Burns started to win league games more often than not, solidifying her identity as a successful coach.
As Burns has progressed through her time with McMaster, she has continued improving herself as a coach. She has won five total Ontario University Athletics titles and two national level titles in her time with McMaster. She has totaled 607 total wins, making her the coach with the second highest number of women's basketball wins in U Sport history.
With this achievement, Burns sees it as a credit to all who have helped her along the way to make the women's basketball team into what it is today.
“I just wanna say Anne Marie, Ed Andrew Kelly Danny and all the assistant coaches that have been in this program. And many of those names I mentioned were like a decade, two decades with us. These are their victories, you know, you build a village, you have to have all those support networks in place and having those good people are what make our program special. Those coaches coached that long in our program because they were special and they believed in what we were doing,” said Burns.
I just wanna say Anne Marie, Ed Andrew Kelly Danny and all the assistant coaches that have been in this program. And many of those names I mentioned were like a decade, two decades with us. These are their victories.
Theresa Burns, head coach
McMaster Women's Basketball team
As the women’s basketball season continues, Burns will look to add more wins to her total. The team’s next game will take place on Nov. 15. against Nipissing University.
Following the Marauders basketball team’s 74-67 win against the TMU Bold, they gear up for their next challenge against the Queen’s Gaels
As the McMaster University Marauders continue their Ontario University Athletics playoffs, the air is thick with anticipation.
Coming off a vigorous win against the Toronto Metropolitan University Bold, the team is riding a wave of confidence while maintaining a realistic outlook of the challenges ahead.
The Marauders’ recent victory over TMU began with a rocky start as they fell behind in the early stages of the game. The Bold's aggressive opening led to them securing the first quarter 20-12. However, the resilient mindset within the squad picked up as the game carried on.
Sparked by Nathan Charles' steal and reverse layup, McMaster clawed back, gradually overturning the score through strategic plays and sheer determination.
This win was particularly sweet given the team's journey so far. Facing the departure of some veteran players, the injuries of key players like Ares Culley-Bremner and Brendan Amoyaw and integrating fresh talent have been formidable challenges this year.
"At the beginning of the season, people thought that we weren’t going to win thatt much. We lost a lot of our players [and] our veterans… We really just have to go out there and do what we know we can do," stated Charles.
As attention turns to the upcoming game against Queen's University on Feb. 24, the Marauders know what faces them ahead. Previous encounters have tested their abilities, with the last matchup ending in a 76-67 win for the Gaels. The Gaels’ physicality and focus on dominating the paint present significant obstacles the team will look forward to.
"We know we’re going to have to play physical. Queen’s is one of the better teams. . .I’m going to try and set the tone early so we can hopefully go up in the first and second quarter and keep on building from there," said Charles.
As the team prepares to take on Queen’s, who come into the playoffs with an 11 game winning streak, their strategy aims to match physicality with tenacity, focus on teamwork and maintain the momentum. The playoffs are not just a test of skill but a testament to the Marauders' spirit and resilience.
With their eyes on the prize, the team is ready to give it their all, setting an inspiring example of what it means to compete with heart and hustle.
C/O McMaster Sports
The women’s basketball team hits the ground running in the first month of play
As many McMaster students have become used to seeing, the women’s basketball team is once again finding themselves in the midst of a strong season. Despite a fairly inexperienced roster full of athletes making their university debuts, the team went into the winter break with a record of five to one, their only loss having come to the Guelph Gryphons.
Through the course of the season it has become very obvious that the Marauders have done a great job at playing team basketball, which has played a big part in their success. They regularly beat the opposing teams in assists by wide margins, and commonly find themselves sharing the load when it comes to scoring. It isn’t uncommon for the team to have several scorers bunched up around the leading individual point totals.
With such a young team, it’s rare to find such strong chemistry so early on, but according to forward Amy Stinson, that’s exactly what the team has been able to create.
“This year is very special for us. We have a lot of new girls, it’s a big new group. Going into the season in November we were really finding our chemistry, so as [games] went on, we were learning more and more about each other and our strengths . . . We were confident in each other and we were confident in ourselves,” said Stinson.
Stinson, a jack of all trades, frequently finds herself making a difference in the box score, whether it be by way of scoring, rebounding, or anything else. Stinson discussed the importance of being an all around player and how much focus she puts on scoring compared to all else.
“I like to look at the little things, like positioning on defence, rebounds, assists. It’s the stuff I look at when I [evaluate] my all around game. I’m happy with what I’ve been doing, but I think there’s a lot more I can do,” said Stinson.
"I like to look at the little things, like positioning on defence, rebounds, assists. It's the stuff I look at when I [evaluate] my all around game. I'm happy with what I've been doing, but I think there's a lot more I can do,"
Amy Stinson, Forward
Through the season Stinson has become a fairly consistent scoring option for the team, regularly finding herself among the teams top scorers. Despite this, she stressed that scoring isn’t actually a major focus in her game and is rather something that just comes as a result of the way the team has played.
“Scoring has actually never been something I’ve made a priority and I think that’s why I’ve had this success I’ve had this season; I don’t put much pressure on myself. I find that when I’m just in the game and playing for my teammates, sometimes it’ll just come,” explained Stinson
This season Stinson and [Sarah] Gates have been the only players on the team to find themselves scoring double digits on multiple occasions. Despite sharing this achievement, Stinson considers Gates to be on a whole different level.
“Sarah [Gates] is just another story, she’s just [incredible] . . . To her that stuff just comes naturally because she’s just outstanding,” said Stinson.
"Sarah [Gates] is just another story, she's just [incredible] . . . To her that stuff just comes naturally because she's just outstanding,"
Amy Stinson, Forward
After several strong performances in November, Gates was named the Ontario University Athletics female player of the month, putting up a league leading 25.5 points per game while shooting to a 52.6 per cent field goal percentage, accompanied by per game averages of 7.7 rebounds, two assists and two steals while shooting 38.6 per cent from three point range.
“It was my first time ever getting that award, so it was really nice! I was a little bit shocked to get it, but honestly, this will sound pretty cliche, but that’s not my focus. My focus is just to get to that national level and compete from there. We have the team to do it . . . I just see good things to come,” said Gates.
Gates, despite her own consistently strong performances, praised the efforts of her team, suggesting that they are going against the grain in what is stereotypically a “rebuilding year” in university sports.
“We have such a unique group this year, especially since it’s such a young team. The amount of work ethic and drive our team has is pretty awesome . . . When so many new [players] are coming in, people usually say it’s a rebuilding year. I wouldn’t say that — we’re definitely really good. I like being the underdog and we’ll take that to our advantage," explained Gates.
"When so many new [players] are coming in, people usually say it’s a rebuilding year. I wouldn’t say that — we’re definitely really good. I like being the underdog and we’ll take that to our advantage,”
Sarah Gates
One of the most notable games of the season was against the Gryphons on Nov. 13. After losing by a 28 point spread on Nov. 10, the team was able to refocus and pick themselves up before their next game on Nov. 13. Gates paved the way, having scored 38 points while shooting 67 per cent from the field and from three. She also put up 11 rebounds and five assists in the redemption game, which the Marauders would win by a final score of 74-70.
Gates suggested that the loss was just a part of being a young team and facing their first “strong” opponent of the season. With the nerves out after the first game, they were able to play their way in the second of the two game matchup.
“We just went in with confidence and knew that if we just played our game that we could dictate the outcome. It all came with our team's confidence,” said Gates.
With a confident and hardworking team of young players, the Marauders have a chance to make a strong push once the season resumes. Originally scheduled to start on Jan. 12, games up until Jan. 22 have been postponed, with their next scheduled game coming against the Laurier Golden Hawks in Waterloo on Jan. 26.
By Jovan Popovic, Staff Writer
Another year is in the books for McMaster sports. While it was a little earlier than expected, it was a successful year nonetheless. Since so much happened, I suggest you strap in and tighten your seatbelts while I try to recap it all.
Unfortunately, both the volleyball and wrestling teams were unable to finish their seasons. Growing concerns about COVID-19 led to many cancellations for McMaster athletics, but most sports were still able to get a full season in.
The biggest winners from McMaster’s 2019-2020 sports teams include the football team, the women’s curling team, and the men’s cross country team, each finishing the year with great accomplishments and motivation for more.
The football team managed to bring home the Yates cup, meaning they were the best team in the province! The Marauders managed to bring down the perennially tough University of Western Mustangs, who were the favourites to take home a fourth straight Yates cup. However, our Marauders successfully quelled the Mustangs’ thirst for the four peat, bringing home the cup for the eighth time in school history.
Six players were named to the All-star teams, including superstar defensive back Noah Hallett, who became the first Marauder since 2016 to make the football first team All-Canadian. The team continued their journey to the Vanier cup, where they unfortunately ended their season with a semi-final loss to the University of Calgary Dinos, who went on to win the national championship. Following their excellent season, the Marauders ranked fourth in the nation, which is a significant jump from their ninth place rank last season.
The women’s curling team was the next success story from the year, winning their first provincial title since 1995. The Marauders were the highest ranked team entering the tournament and lived up to the hype, beating the University of Queen’s Gaels with a score of seven to five in the finals. McMaster’s team went on to the national championship, where they placed fourth overall. In a hard fought rematch of the Ontario University Athletics finals, the Marauders lost to the Queen’s Gaels in the national tournament. Not only had the Marauders beat Queen’s in the provincial final, but also earlier in that same national tournament. Grace Lloyd was named a first team All-Canadian after the playoff run.
As per usual, McMaster’s powerhouse cross country team showed up big, ranking as the second best team in the nation for the second straight year. The team managed to finish second overall in their annual U Sports tournament, only falling short to the Calgary Dinos, who successfully defended their title. Alex Drover and Max Turek were among McMaster’s top performers, finishing sixth and seventh, and both were named first team All-Canadians.
For the women’s track team, team captain Caroline Forbes and first-year student Morgan McKeown dominated on the track. They became the first female track athletes to represent McMaster at nationals in the 3000 meter race since 2014. In the contest, McKeown finished ninth overall while Forbes just missed the top ten, nabbing 11th place.
The men’s wrestling team was yet another team that drew success this season, despite their season being cut short. After three silver medals and a bronze at the U Sports championships, the team looked great going into nationals. The tournament was cancelled due to concerns of spreading COVID-19, which was a necessary call to make. Unfortunately, the team was never able to put their skills on display at the national level. With that being said, it was still a successful season overall.
Moving onto men’s volleyball, the program has been one of McMaster’s best for a long time and this season was no different. The team finished the season with a bronze medal in the OUA championship, sweeping the University of Guelph Gryphons in the final game of the OUA tournament. They had an outstanding regular season record of 16-2. Nathan Delguidice made the All-Canadian team, as well as the OUA first team, both of which were career firsts for him. Similar to men’s wrestling, the remainder of the season was cancelled. The team will have to wait another year to represent McMaster at the national level.
Now, onto winter sports. The figure skating team finished off a strong season in third place after their championship tournament. This high performance year was mainly supported by standout skater Belvina Mao, who was the lone gold medalist for the team.
In other winter sports news, Nordic skiing made its McMaster debut in 2019, marking this past year as the first for the school's newest sports team. The women’s team impressed with a fourth place finish with the help of Soren Meeuwisse’s strong performance, leading to her being named an OUA All-star! Placing fourth for the squad is an incredible feat for a brand new team.
Marauders basketball proved to be exciting once again, despite no podium finishes. Both the men’s and women's teams ended up losing in the quarterfinal, with the women’s team losing to the number one seeded Western Mustangs, and the men losing to the number one seeded Carlton Ravens, who won the championships to continue their dynasty. Second year guard Jordan Henry continued to show his value as a young developing talent, earning OUA second team All-star honours. From the women’s team, Sarah Gates earned an OUA second team All-star nod and Christina Buttenham took home the defensive player of the year award. Unfortunately, the women’s team was unable to repeat the success of last season where they won the national championship, but this year was nonetheless great in it’s own right. The finish was significant, as the team will continue to gain experience and develop, looking to regain their championship form for years to come.
The women’s rugby team is becoming quite familiar with the podium, as they earned their third straight bronze medal this season. They defeated the Brock Badgers 41-3 in the bronze medal game, earning them a 10th place ranking in the nation after being previously unranked. Katie McLeod and Taylor Price were both named OUA All-Stars after their strong performances this season.
McMaster soccer saw the same results as basketball this season, with both the men’s and women’s teams being eliminated in the quarterfinals. Anand Sergeant maintained his status as an OUA West first team All-star for a second consecutive season, while the team captain Yordan Stoyanov, Dusan Kovacevic and Matt Monteiro were all named to the second team. Regarding the women’s team, Steph Roberts made the division's first team All-star group for her second straight season. On top of this, Hannah Chau-Stacey and Carling Goold were named to the second team.
It’s important we acknowledge the tragic loss of the team’s former head coach Joe Valvasori, who was not only an outstanding coach, but an essential part of our community. The adversity the women’s team showed this year was nothing short of remarkable. It’s safe to say that Valvasori would have certiainly been proud.
The baseball season finished in the fall with the men losing in the semi-finals to the Laurier Golden Hawks, who went on to win the tournament. Despite being unable to place, the team had many significant accomplishments throughout the season, including outfielder Nik Motruk being named a co-recipient of the OUA’s Most Valuable Player award, as well as the sole winner of the top hitter award for the conference. Motruk also earned OUA first team All-star honours along with his teammate Michael Ong. Sliding over to women’s softball, the team managed to win the Ontario Intercollegiate Women’s Fastpitch Association bronze medal this year. Emily Campbell was one of the team’s studs throughout the year, having won female athlete of the week earlier this year.
Coach Quinn Fairley of the men’s water polo team won his second consecutive coach of the year award following his team's loss to Queen’s in the bronze medal round, earning them fourth place this season. This year’s award marks coach Fairley’s fifth in his career. Colin Colterjohn, the team’s star player, was named an All-star for the fifth time in his career as well.
To cap it all off, Talia Ng of the badminton team shined this season, achieving an absurd undefeated record of seven wins and zero losses at the OUA championship, aiding the team in securing their fifth place finish in the tournament. Ng, being in her first year, is among many young athletes on the badminton team, whose talent will only mature in future years. McMaster is set to be a future powerhouse team in this sport, and will undoubtedly be a great team to watch for years to come.
While the school year was cut short, it is important to focus on past successes, especially in troubling times like these. Hopefully the which are hopefully an indication of great things to come. All in all, it’s safe to say 2019-2020 was a successful year for McMaster sports across the board, which could be an indication of great years to come. We are certainly primed for a great year next year.
[thesil_related_posts_sc]Related Posts[/thesil_related_posts_sc]
Head coach of the men’s basketball team Patrick Tatham has had an illustrious career. While he was an athlete he played Division 1 basketball at Cleveland State University. He moved on to play overseas for the Sions Herens Basket in Switzerland and the Itzehoe Eagles in Germany, with brief stints in Qatar and Syria.
Following his playing career, Tatham transitioned to coaching. This included jobs with Stoneridge Preparatory School in the states and the Maine Red Claws of the NBA G League. After five years of being assistant coach for the Ryerson University Rams, Tatham became interim head coach from 2015-2016. Now, he is the head coach of our McMaster Marauders. Simply put, the man has seen it all.
Taking part in so many positions was a huge learning experience for Tatham. His ability to transition with ease is one of the reasons for his accomplishments.
“It’s been a nice journey. When I was at Stoneridge I had no clue what I was doing. I just did what I thought I knew to do based off my coaches at Cleveland State. Then coming back home to Stoneridge I took whatever we learned at Cleveland state to try and help the culture at Ryerson because there was no culture at all, we were one of the worst teams in Canada. It was like rolling the dice, you have nothing to lose. Just roll the dice and see what works and what doesn’t work and then make the necessary changes,” said Tatham.
As the saying goes, fortune favours the bold, and it certainly did with Tatham’s coaching style. When he began coaching at Ryerson, the team was struggling. However, the rough patch presented an opportunity for growth given that the team was willing to take risks and innovate.
“I use that blueprint now, here at Mac, there’s already a base and foundation here but it’s about me cleaning up a few things. Just doing all the necessary stuff to make sure all the guys are successful, not just on the court but in the classrooms,” said Tatham.
Tatham’s journey from high school to Division 1 basketball was quite different than what you see nowadays. Typically, top Canadian basketball prospects are noticed either before high school or midway through. Then they go to a preparatory high school in the United States. If they’re good enough, they go to a top college. However, this is not always the case, and it wasn’t for Tatham. He went to Chinguacousy Secondary School in Brampton and from there attended Cleveland State University.
Young Canadian athletes are often told that if they want to follow their dreams, they have to leave Canada. Fewer and fewer Division one scouts are looking to the north for elite-level talent, as the United States is already filled to the brim with talented basketball players. As a result, top Canadian hoopers tend to relocate to the U.S. during high school. Tatham was able to stay home for high school and then play for a top school down south, and he’d like to see more Canadian athletes do the same. In order to accomplish this, Tatham says that U sports needs to do more to incentivize young Canadian athletes to stay at home.
[pjc_slideshow slide_type="basketball-feb-6-2020"]
‘’If we want to retain some of these kids to stay home and play at the U sports level, which is pretty high in my eyes, U sports has to take it upon themselves to really find a way to make the entire playing field very balanced. Offering a little bit more money even if it’s only to five or six scholarship athletes, but I think someway somehow we’ve got to get to a point where we can retain some of these kids that go south . . . and instead get them on a scholarship for four or five years [at home],” said Tatham.
Retention of top Canadian athletes would bring U sports to another level. Can you imagine a league where Shai Gilgeous-Alexander played for McMaster or RJ Barrett played for the University of Toronto? This would bring another degree of respect not only to U sports, but to Canadian athletics in general.
Beyond his vision of a brighter future for Canadian university sports, Tatham focuses on his coaching style. He aims to ensure that his coaching staff is setting a high bar for their program and other programs around the league. He and his staff choose a philosophy of leading by example, setting a precedent of excellence for the team to follow.
“I think within our culture it’s really from the head, heading all the way down to the players and managers. I’ve got to be as consistent as I possibly can and then hopefully my coaches can follow suit and then after the coaches follow suit we all put it down to the players and then the players can follow suit,” said Tatham.
Tatham, or PT as his players know him, uses tough love when it comes to coaching, making sure to always tell players what’s on his mind, whether it’s good or bad. This transparency ensures mutual respect between the coach and team—they always know what he’s thinking, and the team can focus on improving.
Outside of performing on the court, the program has a strong presence in the community. The team holds a yearly summer camp where kids from over Hamilton can come and learn from some of the city’s best athletes. It presents an opportunity for growth, not only for the kids who come to learn how to hoop better, but also for the team and coaches.
“This is the only university in the city of Hamilton so being able to have 200 kids coming to camp for two weeks is something special,” Tatham said. “A lot of the younger kids are going to look up to some of our players and when our players graduate maybe some of those young kids will come to play at Mac. Being able to do the program is not just a great thing for our program but for the city because I think the city needs more basketball camps and I’m just grateful to be a part of it.”
Younger kids from the Hamilton area however are not the only ones being mentored and inspired. Players on the men’s basketball team have access to a mentorship program where men’s basketball alumni come in and talk about life after Mac. The alumni share how the skills they learnt through the basketball program helped them later on in life.
“We’ve been doing a mentor panel for two years. I think that’s been the biggest success in my two years, I think the guys really enjoy the mentor panel and I think alumni enjoy coming back and talking to the current players. So far that’s been the most gratifying thing,” Tatham said.
All in all, the program is in great hands. From competing at an extremely high level as a player to competing for greatness as a coach, Tatham has seen it all. His level of experience and understanding, as well as his connection with fellow staff and players, will be key for the team this season and the years ahead.
[thesil_related_posts_sc]Related Posts[/thesil_related_posts_sc]