The most significant developments in UNBC athletics in 2013 happened on the sidelines.
The first major piece of news unfolded in March when Jason Kerswill, the school's director of athletics and recreation, revealed he would be leaving his post to take a high-profile job with Canada Basketball.
In the ripple effect that followed, long-time women's basketball coach Loralyn Murdoch became the new athletics director in May and was replaced on the sidelines in August by new coach Sergey Shchepotkin.
Kerswill was hired in July of 2010 and his last day as a UNBC employee was April 15. At Canada Basketball, he's now manager of the men's high-performance program and is working alongside people like NBA star Steve Nash, who doubles as general manager of the men's national team.
"Coming to UNBC as the athletic director was a dream job and working for Canada Basketball in this capacity is also a dream job, especially at this time with all the talent around the program," Kerswill said in March. "I'm looking forward to it.
"The opportunity was too good to pass up."
With Kerswill's position at UNBC vacant, the hiring process began. Out of 33 applicants, Murdoch -- who served for 16 seasons as head coach of the Timberwolves women's basketball team -- was the successful candidate. Part of the reason she was chosen was her long association with UNBC athletics. But, it was her leadership skills that set her apart from all the other applicants, said Bill Owen, who led the hiring committee.
Murdoch didn't submit her application until the last possible moment and admitted she would miss coaching. But, she said the timing was right for a change in job description.
"I think it's a really good opportunity professionally," she said after she was introduced to the media as the new AD. "I've been involved in athletics for a long time and it just seemed to be the right time to move into more of an administrative role and start helping the coaches and the other support staff with our move forward into the CIS."
For the UNBC teams -- women's and men's basketball, as well as women's and men's soccer -- 2013-14 is their second year as members of Canadian Interuniversity Sport. A probationary period in the Canada West Universities Athletic Association will draw to a close at the end of the season.
One of Murdoch's first duties as athletics director was to help find the person who would succeed her as coach of the women's basketball team. Shchepotkin -- a former professional player and coach in Russia -- won the job.
Shchepotkin came to Canada in 2006 and had been living and working in Olds, Alta. There, he was coaching the men's basketball team at Olds College and he had been seeking an opportunity to step up to the university level.
"When I moved to Canada it was pretty difficult to find a basketball job," he said on the day he was announced as the new UNBC women's coach. "I always wanted to go to a higher level. This position is the position of my dreams."
One of Shchepotkin's assistant coaches is his wife, Alla Shchepotkina, who was also a high-level player in Russia.
Under Shchepotkin's guidance, the Timberwolves have thus far posted a 4-6 record in Canada West and sit fifth in the eight-team Pacific Division. At the end of the regular season, the top four teams in the Pacific and Prairie divisions will qualify for playoffs.
As for the male T-wolves, they have gone 3-7 so far and find themselves in seventh place in their division.
Both UNBC basketball teams will resume league play Jan. 9 when they host the University of Calgary Dinos.
The soccer teams, meanwhile, wrapped up their seasons in October. The UNBC women finished at 1-9-2 and experienced a major highlight on Oct. 13 when they beat the visiting Winnipeg Wesmen 4-0 for their first-ever win at the CIS level.
The men's soccer squad ran to a 2-9-3 record.
