Coaches

Winnipeg Wolves Coaching Staff

Wolves Girls Basketball – Coaching Staff

Rick Pokrant (Coach 2008/2009s)

Rick is a Vice Principal in the River East Transcona School Division. He has coached for over 25 years at the middle and high school levels, including at St. Theresa Point, Robert Andrews, John W. Gunn, John Pritchard, and Munroe schools.  He has coached female basketball for 14 years in the Jr. NBA, WMBA, and 7 years with the Cyclone and Wolves Basketball Clubs. His teams have played in multiple high-level games winning both city and provincial championships. He is currently the head coach for a competitive girls’ team at Robert Andrews School.  

Coach Rick teaches his players that winning requires playing the full court, and defense wins championships. He focuses on fundamentals and team concepts that challenge players to understand basketball. His players learn respect for each other and the competition. Rick’s players have gone forward from his program to lead their teams to play in multiple university and college programs around the country.

Boys Basketball Club Teams

The Winnipeg Wolves Boy Basketball program is currently on hiatus.

Former Wolves Coaches

Martin Riley (Club Founder/Program Director/Head Coach - Boys & Girls)

Coach Riley brings over 40 years of coaching experience at various levels within the province, accumulated while capturing multiple Provincial Championships, as well as being recognized as an AAAA Varsity Boys Coach of the Year by the Manitoba Basketball Coaches Association. After starting as a head coach with the University of Manitoba Bison Men’s’ Basketball Program early in his coaching career (1981-1984), Coach Riley went on to win two AAAA Varsity Boys Provincial Championships (1997 & 2000) during his eight years as head coach of the Miles Macdonell Collegiate Varsity Boys. 

In 2006, Coach Riley established the Winnipeg Wolves Club Basketball Program. His Wolves-1995s team won three consecutive Provincial Club Championships between 2010 and 2012. Under his guidance the club expanded its operations to include boys teams at various ages. In the summer of 2013 he launched the Winnipeg Wolves Training Initiative program for female athletes between Grades 9 and 12. 

Martin achieved remarkable success during his playing career. In 1973, Martin led the Sisler Spartans Varsity Boys Basketball Team to a Provincial Championship with a perfect 38-0 record, which included 8 tournament championships. The 1973 Sisler Spartans remain the only undefeated varsity boys’ basketball team in Manitoba high school sports history. His contributions were recognized when he was named the 1973 Varsity Boys Provincial Championships MVP and then received the prestigious Carl Ridd Award in 1973 for academic and athletic excellence. 

In 1973, at the age of 17, Martin was also the first player ever to be selected to Canada’s National Team directly out of high school. He then served as team-captain between 1977 and 1980. His career with the Canadian Men’s National Team included two Olympic Games (1976 & 1980), as well as success at numerous international competitions such as the FIBA World Championships, Pan Am Games, and World Student Games. 

While an established member of the Canadian Men’s National Team, Martin played university basketball for the Manitoba Bisons from 1973 to1978.  During his college career he was selected as a 1^st Team All-Canadian from 1976 to 1978, won the 1976 CIAU National Championship, was named the 1976 CIAU National Championship MVP, and was also awarded the Mike Moser Trophy as 1976 CIAU Player of the Year, the 1976 University of Manitoba Athlete of the Year, and the 1976 Province of Manitoba Athlete of the Year. 

After finishing university, Martin went on to win two consecutive Canadian Senior Men’s Championships before playing professionally in Argentina. He has since been inducted into the Hall of Fame for Canada Basketball, Sport Manitoba, Basketball Manitoba, and the Manitoba High School Athletics Association.

 

 

Chiranjit Goswami (Club Director & Head Coach - Boys)

Chiranjit Goswami has been coaching basketball since 1995, first gaining experience at Acadia Junior High, before becoming involved with regional and WMBA district teams. He continued coaching at College Beliveau (JV and Varsity Boys) and JH Bruns (JV Girls) while attaining his NCCP Coaching Certification.

Starting in 2006, Chiranjit joined the Fort Richmond Collegiate JV Girls’ coaching staff. After winning the 2010 JV Provincial Championship, he was subsequently recognized as the MBCA Junior Varsity Urban Girls Coach of the Year alongside his FRC coaching colleagues.

In 2007, Chiranjit began his involvement with the Winnipeg Wolves Basketball Club. Through the Wolves program he has contributed to the development of athletes who have subsequently enjoyed success on provincial teams, ACAC colleges, CIS programs, US junior colleges, and NCAA Division-1 programs, as well as the last four Manitoba high school athletes who have joined the Canada Basketball National Team program. Between 2010 and 2012, he helped coach the Wolves 1995 Boys Team to three straight Club Provincial Championships. After he accepted the position of Director of Operations for the Winnipeg Wolves in 2013, Coach Goswami’s Wolves 1998 Boys Team captured a 2014 Club Provincial Championship.

While Head Coach of the Manitoba 14U Boys Provincial Team between 2010 & 2011, Coach Goswami guided the 2011 Manitoba 14U Boys squad to a Silver Medal at the Western Canada Summer Games in Kamloops, despite competing against 15U provincial teams. In the spring of 2015, Coach Goswami returned to the Manitoba Provincial Team Program as an assistant coach with the 16U Boys Provincial Team and helped the team win a Silver medal at the Western Canada Summer Games in Fort McMurray.

Coach Goswami also helps organize the annual Next-Level Hoops All-Star Showcase and currently holds a position on the Basketball Manitoba Board. He previously helped coach the Varsity Boys team at Miles Macdonell Collegiate for 5 years and currently devotes time as an assistant coach for the Varsity Boys team at Dakota Collegiate. 

 

Jon Janzen (Head Coach)

A member of the original Wolves graduating class, Coach Janzen has been involved in basketball for the past 15 years, either as a player or coach. He coached the Miles Macdonell Junior Varsity team for five years and is currently going into his fifth year with the Wolves. Starting in 2013, Coach Janzen was an assistant coach for both the Wolves 1998s team and the Miles Macdonell Varsity Boys.

Jon graduated from the University of Winnipeg in 2015 after studying Kinesiology and Applied Health through the Education program. In addition to being the Head Coach of the Wolves 2001s program, he will also take over as Head Coach of the Transcona Collegiate Varsity Boys Basketball Team for the 2015-2016 high school season. 

Jon’s strengths have always been on defence; not only was he an exceptional defensive player, but his emphasis as a coach is on the defensive end of the court. Coach Janzen is a young coach who is willing to learn and progress in all aspects of coaching. His intentions are committed to being involved in coaching for a very long time.

Colin LaPlante

Another member of the inaugural Wolves team, Colin is a graduate from Windsor Park Collegiate, where he was named to the All-Manitoba team and received the MVP for the Graduating All-Star Game. After receiving a number of basketball awards during his high school career, Colin was recruited by the Lakeland College Rustlers in Lloyydminster, Alberta. Over his four year playing career, he was awarded the Rustler Award and Team Academic Award, while leading the league in three pointers made, three point percentage, and being ranked 4th in scoring over one season. He was a member of the #1 nationally ranked team for two years in a row and in 2012 was a part of the second undefeated team in ACAC history (20-0). 

Colin was an assistant coach for the Wolves 1995s team during the 2012-2013 season and continued in that role for the Wolves 1998s team during the 2013-2014 season. He has helped run many basketball camps over the last five years. He brings with him the competitiveness, work ethic and knowledge that he possessed as a player. Colin is currently finishing his Bachelor of Commerce degree, majoring in accounting, and is looking to become a CGA.

 

Jeff Shaddock (2003s)

Coach Shaddock has been involved in basketball as a player and coach for over 20 years and he was an assistant coach on Coach Riley’s very first Wolves Boys team. For the past 18 years he has been coaching at the high school, club, and provincial team levels. 

A recipient of the Jim Bulloch coaching award, Coach Shaddock has won two AAAA Varsity Boys Provincial Championships as an assistant coach, and was part of the coaching staff for the silver-medalist Manitoba 14U Boys Provincial Team in 2011. 

Currently, Coach Shaddock is the head coach of the Varsity Boys program at Miles Macdonell Collegiate.

Matt McGrath (1997s) 

Matt is a graduate of Glenlawn Collegiate, where he was voted a Graduating All-Star. A recipient of the Jim Bullock Manitoba Coaching Award in 2012, Coach McGrath is NCCP training certified and has also been involved in the Centre for High Performance. 

After playing for the inaugural Wolves team for 3 years, he spent 5 years as the Head Coach of the Wolves 1997s team, earning considerable success and creating a significant impact upon the basketball scene within that period. His Wolves teams won four Rising Stars League Championships in a row (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013) and three Provincial Club Championships (2011, 2012, & 2013).

Matt furthered his coaching experience as an assistant coach of the Dakota Collegiate Boys program (Varsity & JV). He served as the Head Coach for the Dakota Junior Varsity Boys team for the 2014-2015 season.


Coach McGrath has shown a dedication and commitment to basketball that few coaches his age can claim. He continues to strive for excellence from his team and for himself.

Kyle Vince (2002s)
A member of the Manitoba Provincial Team program through his early development, Kyle Vince graduated from JH Bruns in 2007. Selected as a Graduating All-Star and ranked as the #5 prospect in Manitoba after his senior season, Kyle accepted a scholarship to play for the Brandon Bobcats Men’s Basketball team, where he played for 5 years and enjoyed a great deal of success with the resurgent program. 

Kyle is currently the Head Coach of the JH Bruns Junior Varsity Boys team. He has been part of the Wolves program since 2013, as a member of the Wolves 1997s coaching staff.

Coach Vince was the Head Coach of the Wolves 2002s for the 2015-2016 club season, and he emphasized developing the skills and abilities of enthusiastic young athletes throughout the year.


Kevin Oliver (2002s)
A fixture within the Basketball Manitoba Provincial Team Program throughout high school, Kevin Oliver graduated from Silver Heights in 2007. After his senior season, Kevin was recognized as the AAAA Men's Player of the Year, ranked as the #2 prospect in Manitoba, and selected as a Graduating All-Star.

After playing two years for the Brandon Bobcats Men's Basketball team, Kevin transferred to the University of Manitoba Bisons. He finished his CIS-career with the Bisons after playing three more seasons and contributing to the program's rejuvenation.

Since graduating from the University of Manitoba, Kevin has helped coach JV Boys basketball teams at both JH Bruns and St. James Collegiate.

Dean Favoni (1999s)Coach Favoni has been coaching basketball for over 20 years. He is currently the Varsity Boys coach at Dakota Collegiate where his teams have consistently been ranked in the top ten in the Province, including a Provincial Championship in 2001- 2002. Over the years, his program at Dakota has produced some of the top basketball players in the Province, including #1 ranked players Ryan Dulder and Phillip Labongo.

Dean has also been involved with the Provincial program, as an assistant coach, and with the Centre for High Performance. He has received recognition as the MBCA Coach of the Year and is acknowledged as one of the most positive and skills-based coaches in the province with his teams continually being able to defend and play as a unit.

Coach Favoni‘s Wolves coaching staff included former University of Manitoba Bison Ryyan Koleric, as well as two graduates of his Dakota Varsity Boys program; Kyle Bagri and Stephen Riley.


Tyler Kohut (1995s & 1996s)
Tyler Kohut started coaching basketball in 2005. While playing basketball for the University of Winnipeg Wesmen he became involved in a number of basketball programs including the Junior Wesmen Basketball Club, Wesmen Summer Basketball Camps, the Winnipeg Wolves Basketball Club, and the Miles Macdonell Junior Varsity Boys Basketball Team.

Following the conclusion of his Wesmen playing career in 2009, Tyler returned to the Winnipeg Wolves Basketball club as an assistant coach with the Wolves 1995 Team. He continued coaching at Miles Macdonell Collegiate as an assistant coach with the Varsity Boys basketball team until the end of the 2011 season.  In the summer of 2011, Tyler had the opportunity to join the coaching staff of the 14U Manitoba Boys Provincial Team that won silver at the 2011 Western Canada Summer Games. Tyler is an NCCP Level 4  Certified Coach and was an assistant coach with the Winnipeg Wesmen Men's Basketball Team for six years.

The recipient of the 2013 Jim Bullock Manitoba Coaching Award, Tyler continues to be involved with the Wesmen Men's Program and is currently the Head Coach with the University of Winnipeg College Wesmen Men’s Basketball Team. This past year, Tyler also dedicated his time as the Head Coach for the John Pritchard Boys Basketball Team. 


Karl Schroeder (1998s)
Karl Schroeder has coached for over 25 years in the school system. He has coached everything from “small ball” in the WMBA to varsity boys at Miles Macdonell. Currently a Physical Education teacher at Miles Macdonell Collegiate, Karl guides the Buckeyes Girls Basketball Program as the Head Coach of their Varsity Girls team. In recent years his Miles Macdonell Buckeyes JV Girls team appeared in the JV Provincial Finals, while his Varsity Girls have competed in the AAAA Provincial Championships Final Four twice in the past three years. Karl also coached his Junior Buckeyes girls’ team to the Rising Stars Championship.

Karl is a certified Level 3 coach and is certified as a course conductor for Levels 1 and 2 technical. Karl is dedicated to helping his players develop as individuals while achieving success as a team. He continues to look for opportunities to increase his knowledge of the game by attending clinics and seminars.

Karl’s recent experiences include coaching the varsity boys program at Miles Macdonell Collegiate, before moving over to the women’s teams at Miles Macdonell. In the past, Karl was one of the Winnipeg region’s Manitoba Games coaches and also coached the U16 Girls Manitoba Provincial Team.

Marc Collier

Marc has been involved with basketball for the past ten years, both as a player and a coach. He began coaching when he was 15 years old in the WMBA as an assistant coach, and then progressed to the position of head coach. In recent years, while serving as Head Coach of the River East Collegiate Varsity Boys, Coach Collier also assisted the Manitoba Provincial Team Program, first with the U15 Boys team and then with the U17 Boys team. Additionally, he is now entering his second season as an assistant coach on the University of Winnipeg Wesmen Men’s Basketball Team.

Marc’s coaching strengths include both defense and post position skill-development, excelling at both during his time as a player. He is currently attending the University of Winnipeg in the Faculty of Education, studying History and Kinesiology and Applied Health. Coach Collier is a Learn to Train and Train to Train NCCP certified coach and hopes to be involved in coaching at an elite level for as long as possible.

Curt Bauer (1998s)
Curt has been teaching Physical Education in River East Transcona for over 20 years and is currently teaching at Kildonan East Collegiate. Curt has over 30 years experience coaching basketball. He has a Level 2 certification and has coached at all levels of basketball including Junior High (John Pritchard, Munroe, Robert Andrews) and High School (Miles Macdonell Collegiate, River East Collegiate and Kildonan East).

Derek Barnett (1997s & 1999s)
Derek is a graduate of Glenlawn Collegiate. He coached with Matt McGrath for 8 years and has built a very strong foundation for coaching. He brings the same commitment and effort to the team that he had as a player. Coach Barnett continues to focus on his players’ development as individuals, which results in their continued success as a team. As a member of the Wolves 1997s coaching staff, Derek was a part of the 4 Rising Stars League Championships and 3 Provincial Club Championships that the team has won. He is also currently an assistant coach for the Glenlawn Collegiate Varsity Boys.

Dan Penner (1997s)
A consistent member of the Manitoba Provincial Team program and another member of the inaugural Wolves team, Dan Penner graduated from Miles Macdonell Collegiate in 2008. In his senior season, Penner was ranked as the #2 prospect in Manitoba, voted as a Graduating All-Star, and selected as a member of the All-Manitoba Team. Upon graduation, Dan accepted a scholarship to join the Carleton Ravens Men’s Basketball team. During his time at Carleton, Penner won 4 CIS national championships and finished with a career record of 165-6. After graduating from Carleton in 2013, Dan finished his CIS-career as a graduate-student with the Manitoba Bisons last season. Penner’s contributions to the Wolves organization and to basketball in Manitoba were recognized this past spring when he was awarded the 2014 Winnipeg Wolves Alumni Award. After dedicating time towards coaching within the community this past season, Dan joined the Wolves coaching staff for the 2014-2015 club season with the objective of preparing the next generation of Manitoba athletes to contribute and succeed in the future.  

Peter Robertson-Stovel (Head Coach - Wolves 2003s)

The 2014 WMBA Coach of the Year and a nominee for the Coaching Manitoba 2015 Vince Leah Memorial Award, Peter Robertson-Stovel has been coaching boys in the WMBA for 15 years. Throughout his time in the WMBA with the Riverview program, Peter demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the Fair Play Code. Without exception, the athletes on his teams love the game, the camaraderie they have with their fellow team mates, and their admiration for their coach. Peter's calm demeanor and composed leadership style ensure his players behave in a respectful manner during all practice and games. Always generous with his acknowledgement of successful plays by both teams, Peter enables his players to recognize that competition is a shared experience, where athletes can learn from each other.  Peter ensures that his athletes are vigorously engaged, but that they remain respectful of officials while keeping winning in perspective.

Edwin Garing 

Born and raised in Winnipeg, Edwin Garing has been an active member of the basketball community for the past 10 years. He started coaching in the Winnipeg Minor Basketball Association (WMBA) and in the Winnipeg Athletic Association for Youth (WAAY). He is a current member of the Basketball Manitoba Board of Directors, the WAAY Board of Directors, and the Basketball Manitoba Technical Committee. Edwin has also coached the Tykes, PeeWee, and Bantam Divisions with the North American Basketball Association (NABA) and with the Filipino Basketball Association of North America (FBA-NA).  Together with his respective teams, Edwin has won 3 championships in the WAAY league and also finished second twice in previous NABA and FBA-NA Tournaments.

Dean Goodbrandson

Dean Goodbrandson has 31 years of basketball coaching experience and has coached at a variety of levels in several different communities around the province. His involvement has included both boys and girls teams at the community club, Rising Stars, junior high, and high school levels. Dean has led teams to four Provincial Finals in three different categories. He is currently the Head Coach of the Selkirk Royals Varsity Boys Team.

As a player, Dean helped Selkirk reach the MHSAA  Provincial Final in 1983 and Semi-Finals in 1984. He was selected to the All Manitoban team in 1984. He continued his playing career at the University of Winnipeg and was twice selected as a GPAC All-Star. He was the leading scorer in the conference in 1988. He was also an active member of several Provincial Teams, capturing four Bronze Medals at various National Championships.

Dean believes the role of the basketball coach is to inspire each individual  to strive to become the best basketball player they are capable of being, within a team-first structure. No individual is ever more important than the team. All players should have a role, and need to strive to perfect it.The role of the coach is to communicate expectations clearly and help in anyway he can to facilitate success for the team and each of its individual members. 

Jasmine Bhullar

Jasmine is a Buckeye alumni of Miles Macdonell Collegiate. In her graduating year she was awarded Varsity Female Athlete of the Year, the Premier's Award for Healthy Living and was nominated for the MHSAA Athlete Scholar Award.

Jasmine has over ten years playing experience. She has compete at the provincial level with Team Manitoba, in university for the Canadian Mennonite University Blazers, as well as well as having been a member of the first female Winnipeg Wolves team.  She has also coached groups with the Tabor Baptist Church Basketball camp.

Her passion for sport demands hard work from herself and she hopes to inspire the same dedication and love for the game from others. 

Daria Pokrant 

Daria graduated from River East Collegiate in 2019. In her sophomore year of high school, she was awarded female athlete of the year. She acted as co-captain leading her team into the provincial final four in 2019. With over 10 years of basketball experience under her belt, Daria wants to share her knowledge and leadership skills with her players. With her first year of coaching in the 2021-2022 season with the Winnipeg Wolves 15/16 girls team, Daria is looking forward to her future in coaching.

Daria has refereed basketball for the past five years, giving her a strong understanding of basketball's fundamental rules and how to teach the game to beginner and advanced players. Overall, Daria hopes to encourage her players to respect their peers and the game. Through hard work, and sportsmanship. She is hoping to encourage leadership skills and communication on the floor and on the bench.

Grant Wainikka (2005s) 

With over 12 seasons of coaching in the WMBA, and many more years as a player, Grant Wainikka has deep experience with the sport.  Grant has coached many successful teams in many different leagues, and has developed countless young players.  With Grant’s style of coaching, young players will do more than develop their individual skills and fundamentals – they will learn to play as a team, respect one another, and love the sport of basketball.   He takes a “team first” approach to the game and firmly believes that success is earned in life and in basketball through focus, dedication and hard work.  No short-cuts.

Adam Dyck (1996s)
Coach Dyck coached one season with the Wolves program. He previously had coached at the varsity, junior varsity, district, and club level. He dedicated his time to helping athletes improve on and off the court with an emphasis on instilling the work ethic and mental focus that helped teams prepare to compete at the highest level. Adam paid attention to detail and demanded his players do the same.