While Wayne Hussey grew up playing a variety of sports (including baseball and hockey), basketball was his true passion. He was celebrated for his talent at his Montreal high school, where he captained his team to the 1970 Quebec Provincial Championships —and was named the top player in the province.
In 1971, he captained the Quebec Team to the gold medal at the Canada games. During his university career, he captained the Loyola Warriors and the Bishops Gaiters to the conference championships, and earned all-star recognition. Hussey had an especially legendary career at Bishops University from 1977–1984, where he won seven consecutive conference championships with a remarkable 94 wins and two losses. Further, at the Canadian University Championships, Bishops had a record of 16 wins and 5 losses, winning back-to-back championships.
During—and after—his own playing career, Hussey decided to try his hand at coaching. He absolutely excelled in this vein: he was named Quebec Coach of the Year five times, and National Coach of the Year twice. In 1975, he coached the Quebec Men’s Team to a gold medal at the Canada Winter Games, and in 1979, he coached the Quebec Women’s team to gold at the Canada Games, he repeated by coaching the Quebec Women to gold.
Hussey started his international coaching career as the Canadian Junior National Coach and Assistant National Coach, in 1979. In 1984, he became Head Coach. In 1986, Hussey moved to Oakville with the Canadian National Women’s Basketball Team, whom he guided to a basketball ‘best ever’ bronze medal at the 1986 World Championships.
What’s more, as the Canadian Women’s Head Coach and Program Director from 1984 to 1992, Hussey led the team to bronze medals at the 1987 Pan American games, the 1989 Championships of the Americas, and the 1989 World University games. The team also placed fourth at the 1991 Pan American games.
Hussey was also a popular invitee to basketball clinics, where he shared his basketball philosophy with coaches and athletes on the national and international stage. He has made an indelible mark in the world of Canadian basketball, going down in history as as a very talented player who evolved into an elite coach.
Today, Hussey is a dedicated Oakville resident. He became involved with the Oakville Gymnastics Club as their General Manager in 1997, and has worked diligently with the Club’s Board of Directors and the Town of Oakville to construct a dedicated gymnastics facility. This superb new facility has attracted international interest, as well as talented staff dedicated to deliver programs for every level of gymnast.
Hussey has also chaired the Oakville Sports Council and the Halton Early Childhood Education Committee, and was a founding member of the Oakville Sports Hall of Fame.
