Dale Dergousoff’s legacy of service earns place on UNBC Athletics Wall of Honour

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Basketball has been a lifelong passion for Dergousoff. The former Simon Fraser University standout was a four-year starter before taking his talents overseas to play professionally in New Zealand. He later earned an opportunity with the Canadian National Team during the 1991-92 season.

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That experience proved invaluable when he began coaching.

After working with youth and high school basketball programs, Dergousoff joined the Timberwolves coaching staff during the 2005-06 season. He quickly became a key part of one of the most successful periods in program history.

During his tenure, UNBC qualified for the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association national championships in 2009 and 2010, culminating with a national title in Calgary in 2010. As the Timberwolves later transitioned into U SPORTS and Canada West competition, Dergousoff remained a steady figure through one of the most significant changes in the athletic department’s history.

Jordan first met Dergousoff while both served as assistant coaches under former head coach Mike Raimbault. At the same time, they were rivals on the high school basketball circuit, with Dergousoff coaching Prince George Secondary School and Jordan leading Duchess Park.

When Jordan became head coach, he knew Dergousoff needed to remain part of the program.

“He had high-level playing experience, playing professionally and with the national team, so having a veteran coach beside me was really helpful,” Jordan said.

That guidance extended far beyond basketball strategy.

“You go through lots of ups and downs as a head coach,” Jordan added. “He was always somebody I could bounce things off of. Even to this day, he’s helped me through some difficult situations.”

Former Timberwolves star Franco Kouagnia experienced Dergousoff’s influence firsthand. As the assistant coach responsible for developing the team’s post players, Dergousoff spent countless hours helping athletes refine their games.

“Dale worked with all the post players in practice,” Kouagnia recalled. “He did a lot of individual work with us. In games, he was great at adding little things to help us perform at our best.”

Kouagnia credits Dergousoff with helping elevate him from a promising player to one of the conference’s best, eventually becoming the program’s first all-star.

“The best piece of advice he gave me was how to attack my defender,” Kouagnia said. “It was advice that helped me even when I went on to play professionally.”

Players also remember Dergousoff’s toughness and competitive spirit. During the program’s early years, he frequently joined team scrimmages, challenging players and demonstrating the same intensity he expected from them.

Yet his greatest impact often came away from the court.

Kouagnia fondly remembers summer dinners at the Dergousoff family home — a welcoming gesture for student-athletes living far from their own families.

“He’d have us over for dinner, and it was the little things like that that he didn’t have to do, but he wanted to,” Kouagnia said. “I didn’t have family around, so it was very nice for him to open his door to me.”

While balancing a career with Parker Optometry and raising a family, Dergousoff devoted countless weekends to travelling with the Timberwolves. He also supported the program financially through sponsorships, all while sacrificing personal and professional time because he believed in the athletes and the program.

As he joins the Wall of Honour, Dergousoff is quick to share the recognition with those closest to him.

“This honour wouldn’t be possible without the unwavering love, support, and understanding of my family,” he said, thanking his wife Tracy and children Sam, Ilia, and Brynn.

For a man known for putting others first, it is fitting that his final thoughts focus on family.

“Family is not an important thing,” Dergousoff said. “It’s everything.”

After more than two decades of giving his time, knowledge, and heart to UNBC basketball, that commitment to service is exactly why Dale Dergousoff now has a permanent place on the UNBC Athletics Wall of Honour.