Spencer McKay Biography
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About SPENCER MCKAY:
Born and raised in Oliver, BC, Spencer McKay is a former National Team member, a 16-year professional basketball player, a Basketball BC Hall of Famer, a UVIC Sports Hall of Famer & all-time scoring leader, and former Lead Assistant Coach of the UBC Thunderbirds Men’s Basketball program. McKay brings his incredible knowledge and unmatched international basketball experience to the South Okanagan, where he continues teaching basketball skills through his NBN Academy, and as a Youth Development Coordinator with Lake City Basketball. An expert in talent identification and widely regarded as one of the nation’s top recruiters and skill developers, McKay will give you the necessary tools to help you and your team get to the next level. |
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Biography
Spencer McKay (born 10 August, 1968 in Oliver, Canada) is a former Canadian university basketball coach and a former Canadian International and professional basketball player. After returning to Canada in 2012 to study a Masters in Coaching Science at the National Coaching Institute in Victoria, BC, McKay complemented his studies with a season as Assistant Coach of the men’s basketball team at his Alma Mater, UVic. McKay spent the next five successful seasons as the Lead Assistant Coach with the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds. In 2014 he was inducted into the Basketball BC Hall of Fame, and in 2017 he was inducted into the University of Victoria Sports Hall of Fame. McKay is the Co- Founder and Head Coach of “Nothin’ But Net” (NBN), a youth basketball development academy in the Okanagan Valley founded in 2001. |
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Playing Career
McKay graduated in 1986 from Southern Okanagan Secondary School in Oliver, British Columbia. Leading his undefeated high school basketball team to the 1986 B.C Provincial Championships, McKay earned MVP honours in every tournament his team played and became the first athlete in his school’s history to have his number (#15) retired. From 1986-1991 McKay played for the University of Victoria Vikings under legendary coach Ken Shields. He led the Vikings to three CIAU (U-Sports) Final 4 appearances, averaged 18.4 points/game over his career, and remains the school's all-time scoring leader with 1682 conference points and 2976 total career points. He is the only player in UVic basketball history to earn Canada West All-Star honours in all 5 of his years and was a 3-time CIAU All-Canadian (1998-1991). He began his professional career in 1991 with CF Belenences (Portugal D1) and was named a starter as the only rookie in the league’s All-Star Game. He continued his success in the top leagues of Hungary, Belgium, France, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Taiwan, and Austria, ultimately retiring in 2007 after a 16-year professional career. Coaching Career McKay began his professional coaching career in 2006 in Oostende, Belgium, where he led the BCO (Basketball Club Oostende) women’s semi-pro team to a 3rd place finish in the Belgian league. After accepting a position at the International School of Brussels in 2007, McKay led his Varsity Boys basketball team to consecutive European ISST high school titles in 2009 and 2010. McKay’s teams were awarded the “Parker Bradford Award” for Most Sportsmanlike Team in each of their 5 appearances. During McKay’s 5 seasons as the Lead Assistant Coach of the UBC Thunderbirds Men’s Basketball program, the T-Birds went 77-25 in Canada West league play (114-46 overall), during which 9 of his players went on to play professional basketball after graduating from UBC. |
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Canadian National Team
McKay played for the Canadian U-19 National Team from 1984 to1987 and led his team in scoring during the 1987 FIBA U-19 World Championships in Bormio, Italy. He continued his national team career representing Canada in the FISU World University Games in 1989 (Duisberg, Germany) and was a FISU Silver Medalist and the team’s leading scorer in 1991 (Sheffield, UK), where Canada became the last basketball team to defeat the Soviet Union in international competition. Competing in many other international competitions, including the NBA summer league in Los Angeles and the now-defunct World Basketball League, McKay’s national team career was further highlighted by an appearance at the 1991Pan American Games in Havana, Cuba and a 7th place finish at the 1994 FIBA World Championships in Toronto where he was teammates with NBA stars Steve Nash, Rick Fox, and Mike Smrek. McKay finished his international career in 1995 with a total of 87 official caps. |