UBC Thunderbirds Hire Derrick Schoof as Assistant Coach

Photo Courtesy: UBC Athletics

UBC Athletics and the UBC Thunderbirds swim program are proud to announce that Derrick Schoof has accepted the position of Assistant Coach and will begin working with UBC Head Coach Steve Price and the Thunderbirds on May 15, 2017.

The move is somewhat of a homecoming for Schoof as he was a member of the Thunderbirds swimming program for 17 years, three years as a varsity swimmer (1993-96) and 14 years in various roles on the coaching staff, including Head Coach and Director of Swimming (2006-2009).

More recently, Schoof has served as the Head Coach of the University of Alberta Pandas and Golden Bears Swim Teams, while also serving as the Head Coach and Director of the Edmonton Keyamo Swim Club. Schoof has a long history of developing championship level swimmers and is excited to bring his coaching aptitude to the defending U SPORTS champion men’s and women’s swim teams at UBC.

“I am both excited and honored to be returning to the University of British Columbia Thunderbird Swim Team coaching staff. The culture of excellence on the UBC Swim Team is second to none,” says Schoof. “I am looking forward to contributing to every student athlete’s success on the team. With UBC’s new pool and commitment to swimming excellence, the future looks bright for UBC Swimming.”

Price believes bringing Schoof into his staff will have an immediate impact on the program.

“I am extremely excited to have Derrick join the ranks of our coaching staff and assist me in continuing to develop the UBC Thunderbird Swim Teams to even greater heights. The timing of Derrick’s return to UBC couldn’t be better, coming off dual national titles and settling into our new home at the new UBC Aquatic Center. As a former T-Bird Swimmer, Assistant and Head Coach of the program, Derrick knows what it takes to make this program excel at the highest levels,” says Price. “Without a doubt this is a game changer and will allow us to recruit and develop the best swimmers anywhere in Canada. We will also us to pursue swimmers from around the globe to represent the T-Birds. This just raised the bar again for U SPORTS swimming in Canada and we are excited by the opportunities in front of us.”

Bringing Schoof to UBC coincides with another exciting move in the UBC swimming program. UBC Thunderbird Interim-Assistant Coach Elliott Lee will be moving across the pool deck to work with Tom Johnson in the Canadian National Performance Centre, based at the new UBC Aquatic Centre, through this spring and summer.

“Elliott is finishing up his degree at the UBC School of Kinesiology and plans on pursuing coaching at the highest level,” says Price. “Elliott joined our staff in December this season and was a valuable contributor to our team’s success. As a past T-Bird himself, Elliott also knows what it takes to win.”

The hiring of Schoof would not have been possible without the generous and selfless support of the UBC Thunderbirds Swimming alumni.

“I want to acknowledge and thank our fantastic Thunderbird Alumni for their ongoing support for Thunderbird Swim Teams. Through their generous donations and partnership with UBC Athletics we were able to bring Derrick back to UBC,” says Price. “They support excellence and want to see this program continue to be the leader in Canada. Our student-athletes will receive the coaching and support they need to represent their university on the national and international stage.”

Press release courtesy of UBC Athletics.

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