The head architect of the Okotoks Junior A Oilers is keeping his feet firmly planted in the foothills for at least another two years.
Head coach and general manager James Poole was given a two-year contract extension with the Oilers, with an option for a third-year, the club announced in a press release last week.
“He’s absolutely done everything we could ask him to do,” stated Oilers president Wayne Lauinger. “He’s enhanced the program we have here and clearly has kept the team in the upper ends of the league. We’ve been competitive throughout and he’s developing players onto the next level academically and as athletes.”
Poole, whose contract was set to expire at the end of this season, said he’s enjoyed his three seasons working intimately with the volunteers, directors, coaching staff and players who compose the organization.
“It’s been a good three years for me and I’m obviously excited about the future,” said Poole, an Okotokian since the winter of 2010. “We (as a staff) think we’ve done some positive things making the program a little more complete on and off the ice. The regular season results have been pretty solid.”
Poole was hired on Oct. 1, 2010 following the sudden resignation of former head coach Garry VanHereweghe. Through three seasons under the stewardship of Poole, the Oilers have compiled a winning percentage of .647, have not finished lower than second in the South Division and have twice placed in the top two in the league standings.
Prior to the current post-season run which has the Oilers patiently waiting to start the South final, playoff success has eluded the general manager and head coach. Okotoks was upset in the second round by Olds in the 2012 playoffs and were bounced in seven games by Camrose in the 2011 semifinals.
“This year hopefully we’re starting to see the opportunity to finally get some playoff success,” said Poole, who developed a winning pedigree with the Calgary Midget AAA Buffaloes. “We’re excited about the challenge we have in front of us these next few weeks here and hoping that we can get that first championship; that’s the ultimate goal I have for my time here in Okotoks.”
It’s a timeframe that shouldn’t be running out anytime soon.
For the team president, maintaining some continuity in the Oilers program with the contract extension should keep the organization amongst Alberta’s elite.
“We can see into the future that we will remain competitive in all areas and he’s developed that over the last three years,” Lauinger said. “We see a continuation of all of that.”
For the third-year coach, changing the identity of the Oilers as a skilled team, known for producing scholarships and regular season success, but perhaps lacking in grit come playoff time has been a gradual challenge in cultivating a new attitude and intensity.
“I think part of it has been the makeup of the team and part of it has been kids coming here thinking me-first ‘I get my scholarship and I’ll be on my way,’” Poole said of Oilers. “We’ve really tried to make sure that our identity here is always team first and if you take care of that mentality all the individual accolades will take care of itself.
“I think the kids have really bought into that this year. We have a really close group in terms of chemistry and kids caring about each other.”
Integral to Poole’s success with the organization is the 35-year-old’s ability to relate to his team as a players’ coach, Lauinger said.
“The players have bought into his program and he’s introduced things that weren’t there, due in large part to the fact he’s a little younger than the coaches we’ve had in the past,” Lauinger said. “That’s not a knock on those coaches, it’s just that there can sometimes be a generation gap there and (James) certainly has closed that gap.
“He seems to get the most out of players and they get the most out of him.”
