Raimbault, Thomson reconnect on Wesmen bench

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This article was published 15/11/2021 (1530 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s a special moment when your student becomes a teacher.

Better still is the chance to sit right beside them as they ply their trade. Don Thomson’s getting that chance with head coach Mike Raimbault and the University of Winnipeg Wesmen men’s basketball team.

The Neelin athletic director coached Raimbault on the under-19 provincial team in 2000. They reconnected after he played a few seasons with the Brandon University Bobcats and Southern Alberta Institute of Technology Trojans as Raimbault helped coach some camps and clinics.

Raimbault coached the Bobcats in 2007-08 in an interim capacity but lost out on the job to what turned out to be a failed experiment with Keith Vassell the following year. The Wheat City product picked himself up and landed with the Wesmen in 2010. Now in his 12th season with a regional schedule, it made sense to bring Thomson on board as an assistant.

“He’s had a chance to be around some practices and spend a bunch of time with us and it’s a hugely valuable experience for myself and the guys,” Raimbault said.

Thomson certainly isn’t one to overstate his importance, though he’s quick to say how proud he is of the bench boss.

“He’s a guy that coaches with empathy. He cares about the kids as all coaches do but he’s got a real knack with kids when he teaches them. In my eyes, he’s a teacher before he’s a coach and that’s an ultimate compliment to what he does in his craft. He gets the best out of his kids, that’s for sure,” Thomson said.

“He maintains this (team) and works so hard with the kids but also he’s a good family guy and he’s good for the U of W community, and that sometimes outweighs any wins and losses you can ever have.

“It’s really an awesome opportunity for me to sit around and help a little bit.”

Thomson takes care of the Wesmen bench, chatting with players as they come on or off the court. Throughout Saturday’s 83-79 win over the Bobcats at the Healthy Living Centre, you could spot Thomson and Raimbault bouncing ideas off each other more than most coaches. Now whoever’s leading those conversations is between them, but it’s clear Raimbault still greatly values those who helped him get where he is today.

“I was really lucky to have a huge number of coaches in a lot of different things when I was younger. I started out playing hockey and had Jim Ferguson and Laurie De Roo, Dan Trotter. I had a lot of different hockey coaches along the way that helped me find my way,” he said, adding his Crocus Plainsmen coaches Darren Hardy and Trevor Penner were instrumental as well.

Raimbault has the Wesmen up to 3-3 and third in Canada West’s East Division.

While every team takes part in the conference playoff tournament Feb. 24-27 in Calgary, he said he’s not changing his approach to the season.

“You start where you start, try to get better day by day,” Raimbault said. “Each young guy is dealing with their own challenges. You’re trying to be your best at the end of the season and hopefully you catch a few breaks along the way.”

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