Jamie Campbell discusses the learning curve with the Huskies

“Steep” That’s how Jamie Campbell described the learning curve in his first season as the head coach of the Huskie men’s basketball team. Saskatchewan’s 1 and 9 start and 5 and 15 regular season record in the 2022-23 season was a shock. A year earlier, the Huskies played in the USports championship game under assistant coach Chad Jacobson, who is now the head coach of Thompson Rivers men’s basketball program in Kamloops.

Injuries did play a role in Saskatchewan’s struggles as the team lost three of its top six players, six games into the season. However, Campbell said it was not just injuries that led to challenges. “I was pushing too hard at times. I wear a whole lot on my sleeve. I’m competitive and I’m fiery and I push, and I push, and I push for those two hours. We were all getting pretty negative.”

After some heart to heart meetings at Christmas time, the team’s on court performance did improve in the second half of the season as the team won 4 of its final 10 games. “You have to learn to adjust your own mindset first if you expect the guys to”, said Campbell. “I had to change the way I was doing things, and I think it led to a way better second semester. It’s led us into a way better position as a group.”

Campbell, who was in his first season as a head coach at the university level, is still going to demand accountability from his players, but his style will change. “Early on, we really butted heads”, he said. “I look back at it, and at the Christmas break I’m like. ‘I’ve got to be the first one to change.’ That was the biggest part of the learning curve.”