The Dalhousie Tigers are excited to announce the hiring of Timothy Brennan as the new Speed/Power Lead for the track & field team.
A graduate of St. Francis Xavier University, Brennan holds a Bachelor of Arts in Human Kinetics and a Bachelor of Education in Secondary Education. During his time at STFX, Brennan was a member of the varsity track and field team and won multiple AUS medals. Since graduating, he has obtained several coaching levels including Athletics Canada Certified Club Coach, Sprints and Hurdles, Trained Performance Coach, Jumps and Trained Performance Coach, Sprints and Hurdles.
"I’m thrilled to take on the Speed/Power Lead role with the Dalhousie track & field program” says Brennan. “My goal is to develop a team environment of high-performance fun that fosters academic and athletic excellence, enhancing the university experience for current and incoming student-athletes. This is a robust and winning program that I hope to continue building and help bring the team to the next level.”
After a gap analysis was completed on the program, and with the goal of becoming a top three U SPORTS program in mind, the conclusion was made that more funding of coaching support was needed. A five-year pilot project was developed and is funded through the largest ever varsity team gift for the department.
This position is the first full-time assistant coach for the team, with Brennan transition to full-time with the completion of the current academic year, and his teaching contract at Armbrae Academy wrapping up. In addition to working with the sprinters, Brennan will work on recruiting and will be the primary coach for the jumpers and multi-event athletes.
“I'm very excited to have Tim join our program in a full-time capacity,” says head coach Rich Lehman. “He's an extremely competent, energetic, and motivated coach and I believe that he is the perfect person to help bring our track and teams into the national conversation. Having a second full-time coach on our staff brings us in line with the top programs in U SPORTS and I believe Tim's impact on both performance and student-athlete experience will be tremendous.”
This gift from an anonymous donor, is also a challenge to fellow track & field alumni to double the support and impact of their gift.
“I’m proud to have been a supporter of the team for almost 20 years, but it was time to move ahead with a strong multi-year commitment in hopes that others will follow,” says the lead donor. “After chatting with Coach Lehman, it was clear that having increased coaching support is a strong first step towards fulfilling our dream of a national championship track and field program at Dalhousie.”
With this five-year pilot project to add additional dedicated coaching support, student-athletes will have stability and continuity in their training. It will also allow the Tigers to recruit top talent from across the country leading to consistency and longevity for both the program and the student-athletes.
“This allows for year-round programming while helping attract strong recruits from right across the country (and beyond!), continues the lead donor. “As we see this become a reality, it is my intention to get behind the next steps as well and provide further financial support. Every dollar counts, so please consider a multi-year financial commitment to make this happen!”
If you wish to join and support the track and field team with additional funding, please visit the Project Dal website or contact Lija Skobe.