Bill Gook Coaching Excellence Fund grants inaugural winner

PRINCE GEORGE — One of the most impressive sporting feats this region has ever seen is the 1980 AA High School Boys Basketball Provincials as the Duchess Park Condors took home the banner. A key piece of that year was the coach, Bill Gook, who is well known for his professionalism and commitment to player and person development.

Bill Gook is described as a “Prince George Boy”. Graduating from PGSS and earning a bachelor’s degree at UBC, he came back to Prince George to begin his teaching career and that included basketball. He coached from 1974 to 1980, with the last three years being senior boy’s coach, culminating in a AA Provincial title.

“It’s all about instilling the work ethic and setting a goal for us,” explained Brad Frenkel, who won the championship with Gook. “It was hard work but it was all fun. I enjoyed it every time I got out on that floor.”

Some of Coach Gook’s former players put together the Bill Gook Coaching Excellence Fund to honour their coach. It provides a thousand dollars to use for a Duchess Park senior sports coach’s professional development each year. The inaugural winner is Coach Jordan Yu, who coaches senior boys basketball.