Jon-Lee Kootnekoff (2016) - Hall of Fame - Simon Fraser University Athletics

Simon Fraser University Athletics

Hall of Fame

Jon-Lee Kootnekoff

Class
Induction

2016
Sport(s)

Coach

Jon-Lee Kootnekoff’s contributions to basketball are legendary throughout Canada. Kootnekoff was head coach of the first men's basketball team at SFU and guided the Clan through its first 10 seasons (1965-1975), compiling a 167-116 record and .590 winning percentage.

“Kootnekoff’s visionary thinking and strategic skills as a coach led a generation of Canadians to believe we could compete in the United States against the best players in the world," said Queen's Council prosecutor Robert H. Wright, a charter member of the 1965 SFU men's basketball team.

Kootnekoff led SFU to three 20-plus win seasons and to victory over UBC in the inaugural Buchanan Classic during the 1967-68 season. The spirited contest against the Thunderbirds, won 61-51 by SFU, played out in front of 2,200 fans on campus. Not soon after, “Beat UBC” became a rallying cry across most sports.

WATCH: Beat UBC https://youtu.be/g0sIc518y2Q

1965 mens basketball