One Last Drive on Kuz Control

Story courtesy of Matt Carter

University coaches don't often get to write a fairy tale ending to their coaching career. However, that's exactly what VIU men's basketball head coach Matt Kuzminski and his staff are hoping for as they compete for a CCAA national championship on home court before stepping down at the end of the postseason.

Kuzminski started his varsity coaching career with a bang by winning the CCAA men's basketball national championship in his first season as VIU's head coach (2013). His team won another national championship in 2019 and tacked on a national silver in 2015, a national bronze in 2023, and two fourth place finishes in 2017 and 2022. He has also earned two CCAA men's basketball national coach of the year awards.

His teams have been dominant at the PACWEST conference level. Under his leadership, the Mariners have never failed to qualify for the conference championship game and have earned six gold and six silver in those 12 seasons. Kuzminski has also been named PACWEST coach of the year four times.

While Kuzminski has helped drive the VIU men's basketball program to the top of collegiate basketball in Canada, he acknowledges that it has required a huge investment--one that needed to be shared with his family.

"I started coaching as a very young man: 25 years old, just out of college," Kuzminski said. "Everything my wife and family have known is me as the basksetball coach at VIU. With [my son] Jones getting older, and some other factors, it feels like the right time."

"I've loved every minute of coaching here," Kuzminski added. "It'll forever hold a special place in my heart, and this isn't an easy decision. But I think it'll be good for my family--that's a big part of it."

Strong Bonds

During Kuzminski's run as head coach at VIU, there has been one consistent presence with him on the bench since day one: assistant coach Scott Marr. Both of them were star high school players in Nanaimo: Kuzminski at Dover Bay and Marr at Wellington. Marr went on to play at the Uniersity College of the Cariboo (now Thompson Rivers University) in Kamloops while Kuzminski played at the University of Victoria and Simon Fraser University. Both of them returned to Nanaimo and collaborated on what became a stellar coaching run at VIU.

"We started off as guys who knew each other," Kuzminski said, "and after 14 years coaching together, we've become best friends. His loyalty and the way he carries himself have made the hard times fun. I believe this quote: 'life is too serious to be taken too seriously.' We can laugh in the craziest of situations, pressure, hard time, but we always find a way to have fun."

Marr agreed and reflected on their impact on student-athletes. "The amount of kids who have come in here and succeeded...many have reached out to say how much they've appreciated us as coaches and us as a program, how we've handled things with integrity and dignity." Under their tutelage, three Mariners were named CCAA national men's basketball player of the year: Josh Ross (2016), Usama Zaid (2017), and Akoi Yuot (2022).

In their 12 completed seasons leading VIU men's basketball, their teams have earned a regular season record of 213-25. At press time, the Mariners are 17-5 in the 2025-26 season with two games remaining, bringing their regular season to 230-30--a winning percentage of .884.

The trophies and the wins are impressive, but Kuzminski says that it's the relationships that hold the most value.

"Coaching with my assistants--Scott, [Mark] Simpson, Jake [Thom], [Chris] Marsh--they've been a huge part of why I've been able to continue coaching. I love coming into work with those guys they are as close of friends as I have in my life."

The Mariners still have work to do in the form of two more regular season games, competing at the 2026 PACWEST conference championship, and going for a national championship as the host team. When it comes to the national championship tournament, Kuzminski says that local basketball fans are in for a treat and their support can help their hard-working student-athletes. "The basketball will be fast-paced, high-level, exciting, and we've got a great opportunity to do something cool on home court. We've never hosted a national championship so we need all the support we can get to make the gym loud and proud for the Mariners team we're putting out there."

Marr agreed. "It's a dream come true. We've wanted to host a championship since our first year. It's great for the school and it's great to showcase what we have here in Nanaimo. People know VIU because we've been [at tournaments] so many times, but for us to host out west is a big accomplishment and the recognition is something the school and our program can be proud of."

The Mariners finish the 2025-26 regular season with home games on Friday, February 20 (8 pm) and Saturday, February 21 (3 pm) at the VIU Gym. A recognition ceremony for Matt and Scott will take place following the women's game on February 20 (approximately 7:30 pm). VIU has also qualified for the 2026 PACWEST Basketball Championships at Camosun College, March 5-7.