By Chad Klassen

Titans boys talk about coach Unaegbu as he prepares to head overseas

Mar 23, 2018 | 6:20 PM

KAMLOOPS — He’s the coach who was able to get the South Kam Titans over the top, leading them to the school’s first boys provincial basketball title earlier this month. But Tim Unaegbu is now stepping away from the game and heading overseas. 

Unaegbu leaves next week for South Korea, where he’ll be teaching English. 

“It’s something I wanted to do these last three or four years,” he said. “My brother’s actually in Dubai teaching English. He’s been there the last three or four years, so that’s been my plan, and every single year I wanted to do it, these guys here from my basketball team just kept keeping me behind because once I saw them four years ago, I knew we had something special.”

He leaves on Tuesday, March 27 and has been catching up with friends and his players, including Reid Jansen and Nick Sarai, the 2018 AAA B.C. Boys Basketball Championship MVP. 

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The players say Unaegbu has had a massive impact on their basketball careers and lives as people. Sarai first met his coach at a TRU sports camp when he was in Grade 8 and a relationship blossomed. 

“He didn’t know I was a basketball player, but I always looked up to him in a sense,” said the graduating player, one of four on the Titans. “He was just a kind guy. Off the court, he’s a nice, friendly, easy to talk to person. Then fast forward to Grade 9, didn’t know who our coach was going to be, and it ended up being Tim.”

Sarai was overjoyed and has latched onto Unaegbu’s influence during his years at South Kam, where he transferred in Grade 8 for better coaching. 

“He always opened up the gym in the summer, he always opened up the weight room to lift. Him and [assistant coach Bryce McMillan] showed the steps it takes to become a good man, to be successful in life. Just watching him, he’s helped me with basketball and life.”

Jansen, meantime, also appreciates everything coach Unaegbu has done. 

“He doesn’t get paid to do this. He’s just volunteering to coach,” said Jansen, who’s also graduating in June. “He’s taught us so much, not just basketball but in life. He’s taught me so many things. he’s made a provincial champion now, so it’s amazing.”

In stepping away for at least the next year while he’s overseas in South Korea, Unaegbu’s going to miss coaching the game. 

“I’ll miss this group of guys,” he said, a group he’s been with since they were in Grade 9 and playing in the junior ranks at South Kam. “In the change room, I did a little speech when I told them I was planning on just going for a year teaching English abroad in South Korea. There was some emotions. You shed tears, but they’re happy tears. It’s better than last year’s tears. I will miss them, but the thing is we have our group. These guys will have something forever.”

Sarai and Jansen are looking into universities across the country to play USPORTS basketball. During his spring break, Sarai visited the campus of UBC Okanagan in Kelowna on Thursday.