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Langford headshot

Bruce Langford

  • Title
    Head Coach, Women's Basketball
  • Email
    langford@sfu.ca
  • Phone
    778-782-5394
Bruce Langford has been a fixture in the British Columbia basketball community for 30 years, having coached 21 years in the B.C. school system. He coached his teams to three provincial championships and one Reebok Canadian National High School Championship.

He had several players play on Canadian junior national team while both Kim Smith and Teresa Kleindienst played for the Canadian national team. Before arriving at SFU in the fall of 2001, Langford also coached through the Basketball BC ranks winning BC Summer Games gold medals twice. He then went on to coach the BC Under 19 team to Gold Medals in 2007 and 2001. During his tenure at SFU, Langford guided the team to seven 30+ win seasons. Entering the 2018-19 season, Langford has a career record of 426 wins and 127 losses (.770 winning percentage) and a 207-38 home record (.844 winning percentage).

Since moving to NCAA in 2010-11, Langford's record is 140-91 (.606 winning percentage). In the NCAA, Langford has guided the program to play-off appearances every year and to the NCAA National Tournament three times, advancing to the Sweet 16 in 2013 and 2017 and the round of 32 in 2014. During the 2014-15 season Langford passed legendary SFU coach Allison McNeil in career wins, becoming the most successful coach in program history. McNeil compiled a 363-79 record at SFU. In Langford’s first nine seasons at SFU the team competed in Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS). [name changed to Usports a few years ago]

SFU advanced to the CIS National Championship tournament every year under Langford, winning five CIS national championships. Langford compiled a win-loss record of 286-36 over nine seasons in CIS, including a 142-9 mark at home. During that time SFU also had a 54-game winning streak straddling the 2009-10 and 2008-09 seasons, and a 45-game winning streak during the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons. He remains the 2nd highest winning percentage of all coaches in Usport history with a .866 percentage.

U Sport Hoops Women - University Basketball in Canada 

Twice Langford’s teams have been undefeated. His first team in 2001-02 went 35-0 and his 2004-05 team compiled a 38-0 record, the most wins in SFU history.
 
Bruce Langford's SFU Coaching Record
CIS Canada West Overall 
Season Win Loss Home Away Place Win Loss Home Away Neutral CIS Tournament
2001-02 20 0 10-0 10-0 1st 35 0 19-0 14-0 2-0 CIS Champion
2002-03 18 2 9-1 9-1 1st 25 5 15-1 9-2 1-2 4th
2003-04 12 8 8-2 4-6 5th 23 12 10-2 8-9 5-1 4th
2004-05 20 0 10-0 10-0 1st 38 0 17-0 14-0 7-0 CIS Champion
2005-06 19 1 10-0 9-1 1st 33 8 15-2 9-3 9-3 3rd
2006-07 21 2 10-1 11-1 1st (tied) 33 6 16-2 13-3 4-1 CIS Champion
2007-08 22 1 11-1 11-0 1st 34 3 18-2 13-0 3-1 5th
2008-09 22 1 17-0 12-1 1st 33 1 17-0 13-1 3-0 CIS Champion
2009-10 17 1 8-0 9-1 1st 32 1 15-0 13-1 4-0 CIS Champion
TOTALS 171 16 93-5 85-11 286 36 142-9 106-19 38-8
NCAA Great Northwest Athletic Conference Overall 
Season Win Loss Home Away Place Win Loss Home Away Neutral NCAA Tournament
2010-11 4 14 2-7 2-7 8th 7 17 2-8 3-9 2-0 not eligible
2011-12 11 7 7-2 4-5 5th 17 11 8-2 7-7 2-2 not eligible
2012-13 15 3 9-0 6-3 2nd 25 6 12-0 7-4 6-2 Round of 16
2013-14 12 6 7-2 5-4 4th 20 10 11-2 6-5 3-3 Round of 32
2014-15 10 8 7-2 3-6 4th 15 13 8-5 4-7 3-1 Lost GNAC semifinal
2015-16 13 7 6-4 7-3 4th 16 11 6-4 8-3 2-4 Lost GNAC semifinal
2016-17 15 5 7-3 8-2 3rd 26 8 10-3 12-2 4-3 Round of 16
2017-18 9 11 6-4 3-7 6th 14 15 8-5 4-7 2-7 Lost GNAC 1st round
2018-19 13 7 7-3 6-4 3rd 17 11 7-3 8-4 2-4 Lost GNAC 1st round
2019-20 13 7 6-4 7-4 4th 18 13 9-7 7-4 2-3 Lost GNAC 1st round
TOTALS 115 75 64-31 51-45 161 100 73-34 62-40 26-22
CAREER 447 136 215-43 168-63 62-30


CIS 

2009-10 CIS Championship Season
Langford led SFU to a 32-1 overall record, and his second consecutive CIS National Championship, the fifth CIS National Championship in nine seasons for SFU. SFU defeated Windsor 77-56 in the CIS championship game. Senior Robyn Buna was named the Nan Copp CIS Player of the Year and Tournament MVP, Katie Miyazaki was named CIS Defensive Player of the Year, and Kristina Collins was named Canada West Rookie of the Year. They also posted a school record 54-game winning streak, straddling the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons.

2008-09 CIS Championship Season
SFU posted a 33-1 overall record and won Simon Fraser’s fourth CIS National Championship. Matteke Hutzler was named MVP of the National Championship Tournament, while Buna earned Player of the Game in the CIS Finals with a 20-points and eight rebound performance in SFU’s 68-62 win over Regina.

2007-08 Season
Langford guided SFU to a 34-3 overall record, and a fifth place finish at the CIS National Championship. Point guard Lani Gibbons was named the 2008 CIS Player of the Year.

2006-07 CIS Championship Season
In 2006-07, Langford brought in his largest recruiting class ever, featuring five blue chip recruits to compliment four returning seniors. Despite some significant injuries to the team throughout the year, SFU showcased both its depth and character, winning the 2007 CIS National Championship with a 72-68 win over the University of Alberta in the CIS Final. Laurelle Weigl was named the 2007 CIS Tournament MVP as well as the 2007 CIS Rookie of the Year, while point guard Gibbons was named a tournament All-Star. Langford was named Basketball BC’s University Coach of the Year for his team’s performance.

2005-06 Season
Langford’s fifth season as head coach was highlighted by the team finishing third at the 2006 CIS National Championship but SFU set a program record for consecutive wins with 45-straight victories, a streak that began on October 8, 2004 with an 83-38 win over Cariboo College and ended with a 64-58 loss to Thompson Rivers University Wolfpack on October 29, 2005. In 2006, Langford coached the Red team at the inaugural Be One All-Canadian All-Star Game, organized by Canada Basketball. The Be One All-Canadian game is a showcase for the best athletes in the Canadian university and college school system.

2004-05 CIS Championship Season
That impressive streak of 45-straight wins included the 2005 CIS Championship game, when SFU capped an outstanding 38-0 undefeated season with a 70-60 victory over the Winnipeg Wesmen to win the SFU’s second national title under Langford. The post-game celebration included a special personal moment for Langford, as his daughter and SFU point guard Dani Langford was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player in her final game at SFU. SFU's 38 victories is still the program record and earned Langford his second CIS Coach of the Year award.

2002-03 & 2003-04
Langford’s second and third seasons as head coach of SFU ended in similar fashion, as both his 2002-03 and 2003-04 teams finished fourth at the CIS Championships. In 2004, the team lost in the CIS semifinals to eventual champion UBC, while the 2003 team was upset in the semifinals by the Winnipeg Wesmen. SFU's forward Jessica Kaczowka, however, earned her second straight CIS Player of the Year award after leading the nation in rebounding.

2001-02 CIS Championship Season
In Langford’s first season with the women's basketball team he replaced legendary SFU coach Allison McNeil, who had compiled a 363-79 record at SFU. McNeil left an experienced and talented core of players, and Langford steered the team to a 35-0 undefeated season and the first national championship in women’s basketball program history. SFU defeated Laval, 66-51, in the CIS Championship Game. Langford earned his first Canada West and CIS Coach of the Year awards. SFU nearly swept the national awards, as Langford was recognized for his achievement alongside SFU players Kaczowka, named CIS Player of the Year, and Teresa Kleindienst, recognized as CIS Defensive Player of the Year.

High School
During Langford’s first 21 years of coaching, he primarily spent his time in the B.C. school system, where he coached in Langley and then at Mission Junior, Mission Senior Secondary, Hatzic and Heritage Park. At Hatzic, Langford won a provincial AA championship in 1994, the first provincial title of his career. In 1998, began his first season at Heritage Park, where he was the architect of one of the strongest high school programs in B.C. history. At Heritage Park, he led the team to two straight AAA Provincial Championships and in 2001 a Reebok National Championship after completing an undefeated season.

Langford also takes time during the summer to continue coaching, having won two BC Summer Games Gold Medals and two Canada Summer Games Gold Medals in 1997 and 2001, earning two Basketball BC Coach of the Year awards during that stretch..

Personal
Langford was born in London, ON but currently resides in Port Coquitlam with his wife Leslie. The couple has one daughter, Dani, who played for the SFU women's basketball team from 2001-2005, winning two CIS National Championships with her father.