Jordan Yu wanted the job as head coach of his hometown UNBC Northern Timberwolves.
Despite his credentials, he didn't get it -- wasn't even shortlisted, in fact.
This past Friday and Saturday, Yu and his Capilano University Blues were in town to tip off against the Timberwolves at the Northern Sport Centre. Given his frustration when he was passed over for the UNBC coaching position back in June, Yu would have loved for the Blues to beat the T-wolves on their home court.
It didn't happen. The North Vancouver-based Blues entered the weekend holding a 9-0 record in the B.C. Colleges Athletic Association men's basketball league but lost twice to the Timberwolves, 79-69 on Friday and 90-80 on Saturday.
"I would have been happy to come out here and win both games," said Yu, now in his second season at the helm of the Capilano men's program. "I don't want to rub it in anyone's face or anything, but I have pride. Of course it would have been nice to win -- that's just the competitive spirit in anyone.
"At the same time, things happen for a reason, and I always look at the positives," Yu added. "I'm not disappointed I didn't get the job. I'm in a great opportunity right now. I'm with a team that I love like family."
Instead of hiring Yu, UNBC chose one of his Prince George pals, Todd Jordan. When Yu and Jordan were younger, they played high school basketball against each other, Yu for the Duchess Park Condors and Jordan for the PGSS Polars. Both graduated in 2001.
Yu said he's happy Jordan got the UNBC job, which opened up after Brandon product Mike Raimbault -- head coach the previous two seasons -- was hired as sideline boss of the University of Winnipeg Wesmen.
"Me and Todd go back a long ways and I just wanted someone from Prince George to get the job," said Yu, a former Capilano guard who went on to play and coach at UBC. "I don't want someone coming in here, using it as a stepping stone, two years, and then they're out. That's just not the way you run a program or build a program."
Under Yu's guidance, the Capilano men have taken massive steps forward. The season before he arrived on the scene, the Blues missed the playoffs. Last year, they finished at 8-10 and gave the Timberwolves a good run in the provincial semifinals before they lost 79-69. The Timberwolves, of course, went on to win the B.C. tournament and, later, the national title.
Now, this season, the Blues are among the elite teams in the BCCAA. Yu, however, is keeping everything in perspective.
"I'm not going to lie, we've had a very favourable schedule so far," said the personable 28-year-old. "We came out of the gates on a roll. We got two straight wins against UBC O and those were our two toughest games the first half of the season. We don't have a leader on the team like an Inderbir Gill [of UNBC]. We've had everyone contributing on different nights. And I don't want to blow my own horn but it's been a lot of coaching and strategy and what we have to do to find situations to win. We've had two games this year where we won by one point so it could be very different for us. I'm not stupid. 9-0 is a good record but we're still a very fragile, young team. I know that and we've just got to continue to work hard and get better every day."
UNBC's Jordan is impressed with how the Blues have developed under Yu.
"I can't say enough about what he's done with that team," Jordan said. "They're not as experienced and they're a little younger than us and they came in here and battled hard."
As fun as the basketball was for Yu, one of the highlights of his trip home happened on Saturday afternoon, when he brought the entire Blues team to his dad's house for lunch.
"We got to watch some basketball and they just got to relax in my home," Yu said. "That was the most exciting thing for me -- to bring these guys to my home town, show them the hoops that I shot at and bring them into my living room and just take them through my life. I took full advantage of showing them what I'm all about and where I came from. I'm very proud that I came from Prince George and to be able to show my guys, it was something special, for sure."
The Blues have two more tough games coming up this weekend. On Friday and Saturday, they'll host the first-place Vancouver Island University Mariners, owners of a 10-1 record.
