By Huskie Athletics

CALGARY, Alta. – Wednesday afternoon (June 12), legendary Huskie men's hockey head coach Dave Adolph, was honoured at the U SPORTS Honours Awards Luncheon as the 2024 recipient of the Jean Marie De Koninck Coaching Excellence Award.

In addition to Adolph's honour, Clint Hamilton (UVic & UNB) was recognized as the Austin-Matthews Award winner while Quinn Phillips (Global Edmonton) was awarded the Fred Sgambati Media Award.

The Jean-Marie De Koninck Coaching Excellence Award, which is named after the former swimming coach and long-time math professor at Université Laval, honours an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to university sport as demonstrated by long-term commitment and leadership as a coach at the local, provincial, national and/or international levels.

Adolph becomes the second former Huskie head coach to be honoured with the award, joining former USask football head coach Brian Towriss who was the 2019 recipient.

Adolph's tenure as a head coach in university hockey began in 1989 at the helm of the Lethbridge Pronghorns where he coached for three seasons. Following the 1992-93 season he would return to his alma mater, where he spent the next 27 years behind the Huskie bench.

After a pair of rebuilding seasons in 1993-94 and 1994-95 Adolph guided the Huskies to 25 consecutive post-season appearances and 16 trips to the University Cup tournament. During the 2014-15 season he became the winningest head coach in U SPORTS history with his 377th career win thanks to a 5-3 victory over his former team. He would go on to amass 488 wins in 868 games prior to retiring following the 2019-20 season.

During his tenure he led the Huskies to seven Canada West titles and three U Cup medal finishes while producing 90 conference all-stars and 30 all-Canadians. He would also finish his coaching career as a four-time Canada West Coach of the Year and the 2017 U SPORTS Coach of the Year.

On the international stage Adolph led Canada to bronze medals at the FISU Universiade in 2003 in Naples, Italy and again in 2015 in Granada, Spain. He was also behind the bench for the Nagano Cup in Japan in 1996, leading the Canucks to a silver medal finish. In 2004, he was named an assistant coach with Hockey Canada for the Lotto Cup in Slovakia, finishing third.

As a student-athlete, the product of Swift Current suited up for the Huskies in 117 games and finished his playing career as a national champion, helping the USask hockey team to their first University Cup in 1983. 

For more information on the 2024 U SPORTS Honours Award winners head to www.usports.ca.