For the first time in 11 years the University of New Brunswick Saint John Seawolves men’s basketball program will have a new face at the helm. Head coach, Peter Vincent has announced his retirement, with assistant coach, Paul Vaughan, stepping into the head coaching role.                                     

Vincent joined the Seawolves in 2012-13 season, having coached the Saint John High School Greyhounds for the previous decade, and has several fond memories of coaching the Seawolves.

“My first recruiting class was a highlight for me,” said Vincent. “Some special people came through that group that are still guys I keep in touch with today. The year we hosted Basketball Championships [2014-15] and got in as the 6 seed and almost upset Crandall was another good memory.”

Under Coach Vincent the Seawolves brought home a pair of major ACAA awards: Andrew Robart won the 2015-16 Rod Shoveller Award which is given annually to an ACAA men’s or women’s basketball player who has contributed to sport and society through excellence in academics, athletics, leadership and sportsmanship. That same year Matt Brown took home ACAA Men’s Rookie of the Year.

Vaughan will step into the head coaching role after being an assistant coach with the men’s program for the past two years. His coaching resume is bountiful: 20 years with the Kennebecasis Valley High School Crusaders/Blue Knights of the New Brunswick Interscholastic Athletic Association; 7 years with the Saint John Riptide of the National Basketball League of Canada; and 10 years coaching with Basketball New Brunswick.

Vaughan was approached by Vincent in the summer of 2021 about coaching with the Seawolves, to which Vaughan said he wasn’t ready to leave KVHS just yet. Vincent compromised and said any help Vaughan could be offer would be appreciated, leading to Vaughan’s commitment with the team over the past two seasons. A well-respected member of the New Brunswick basketball community, Vaughan will take over following a disappointing 0-18 season for the Seawolves but says how the team performed in the second half of this season is a big reason for excitement leading into next year.

“I see a lot of potential in the basketball program at UNBSJ,” said Vaughan about the promise the Seawolves show. “That potential might not be obvious to the casual fan, but if you look at how this team finished the season, we are already competing with the best teams in the league. We are solid defensively, have a young core group, and despite their record this group continued to play hard every night.”

Vaughan knows getting the head coaching job this late in the recruiting season poses some challenges but admits that players that he has already spoken to inquired about the program that is being built at UNB Saint John, so he sees a bright future.

“I think with another year of maturity and a couple key additions, this team and the program can achieve great things.”