Basketball coach Guy Vetrie passes away

The Canadian basketball world mourned the passing of long-time University of Victoria men's basketball coach and Sault native Guy Vetrie on Monday.

Vetrie passed suddenly of a heart attack on Monday while jogging on a trail on the UVic campus. Vetrie was to turn 52 years of age on Thursday.

Vetrie was a set to begin his 14th season as head coach at UVic, where his son Ryan is set to begin his rookie season.

After a four-year career as a star basketball player at Laurentian University in Sudbury under legendary coach Ken Shields, Vetrie began his coaching career at the school as an assistant to Shields.

Following a season at Laurentian, Vetrie went on to coach the Saskatchewan Provincial Elite team for two years. Vetrie then broke into the University ranks as a head coach with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies from 1979-1988 and took the team to several national championship tournaments.

Vetrie moved to UVic in 1989 after being selected by Shields, who left UVic after seven national titles in the 1980s to coach the Canadian National Team. At UVic, Vetrie led the team to a national championship in 1997 and a spot as Canada's entry in the Jones Cup in Taiwan that year.

Vetrie, who has won 530 university games as a head coach, won six Canada West conference coach of the year awards and served as the national team assistant coach from 1989-1991. Vetrie also coached the national B team in 1991.

Vetrie never lost his love for his hometown and made his way back to the Sault each summer for his annual basketball camp, where he touched the lives of many local basketball enthusiasts.

Vetrie will be remembered for his incredible knowledge of the game, his superior ability to teach to game to players and his calm yet intense demeanour on the bench.

Vetrie is survived by wife Lil, daughter Kirsten and son Ryan.