Wigrass returns as head coach of Dinos men's volleyball

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University of Calgary graduate and two-time Olympian Graham Wigrass has been named head coach of the Dinos men's volleyball program, director of athletics Ben Matchett announced Monday.

Wigrass, the sixth head coach in program history, returned to campus and won a national championship in 2010 to begin an extensive professional career in Europe and a nine-year stint with the Canadian national team.

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“Graham is one of the best players to ever wear these colors and we are excited to welcome him to campus to lead the Dinos men's volleyball program into the next era,” said Matchett. “His experience at the highest levels of the sport around the world brings a unique perspective and, of course, his connection to the volleyball community is very deep.”

A native of Calgary, Wigrass was recruited out of Canada West High School and played five years with the Scarlet & Gold.

After two strong seasons as a middle blocker, where he was among the team leaders in kills, blocks and hitting percentage, Vigrass moved to right side. At the 2010 U SPORTS Men's Volleyball Championship, she averaged 21 kills per match and was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player as the Dinos won their fourth national title.

A year later, Vigrass resurfaced and continued to garner praise. In 2011, the Dinos won their ninth Canadian Western Championship, with Wigrass once again leading the way. He broke the program record for blocks and was named the USA SPORTS Player of the Year. The season ended with Wigrass being named the Canada West Male Athlete of the Year in all sports.

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In her final season with the Dinos, two-time U SPORTS All-Canadian Vigrass led the team to its third consecutive national championship and finished her collegiate career second in program history with 844 kills.

“I'm very excited about this opportunity,” Wigrass said. “Calgary has an amazing volleyball community and I'm excited to be a part of it and build something special.”

A mainstay in Volleyball Canada's youth and junior programs before and during his time at UCalgary, Wigrass made the jump to the Canadian senior men's national team full-time in 2012-13. During her nine-year international career, Vigrass represented Canada at countless FIVB events, including the Nations League, World Cup, World League and World Cup. At the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, he helped Canada win a bronze medal. The following year, Vigrass made his debut at the Rio 2016 Olympics, where Canada finished fifth. He also featured in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics before retiring from the national team in 2022.

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Wigrass was named the 2017 World League Middle Blocker of the Year and the 2019 Volleyball Nations League of the Best Blocker.

Over the past decade, when not wearing the Maple Leafs, Vigrass has played in some of the top volleyball leagues in Europe. Highlighted by a pair of Bundesliga titles in Germany, Vigrass also had stops in France, Tunisia, Turkey and Poland, ending his playing career with a championship in Spain.

In his new role, Wigrass will be supported by an experienced staff, with Calvin Aubin returning as assistant head coach and Dr. Kerry MacDonald as mentor coach.

“We are delighted that Calvin and Kerry have agreed to lend their expertise through this transition with Graham as we begin our coaching journey,” said Matchett. “Our program is well positioned in the best volleyball city in Canada and we are excited for what lies ahead.”

A familiar face on the Dinos bench, Aubin is a member of the Alberta College Athletic Conference Hall of Fame and the Royal Cougars Hall of Fame. He led the Cougars to Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) national championships in 1991 and 1994, compiling an 84-12 record over five seasons. In his first stint at UCalgary, Aubin was a member of the Dinos' 2010 national championship coaching staff and will return to the program in 2021.

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MacDonald is a double dyno, BA in Kinesiology (2006) and PhD in Kinesiology (2016) from UCCalgary. He joined Aubin's coaching staff in 2010 and went on to serve as head coach of the UBC Thunderbirds, leading them to the 2018 national title. MacDonald is currently the Beach High Performance Manager at Volleyball Canada, training athletes. Paris 2024 Olympics.

“It's been great with Calvin and Kerry coaching me in the club and the dinos,” Wigrass said. “They have an amazing wealth of knowledge and I'm excited to learn more from them both.”

Vigrass, who holds a Bachelor of Science (2012) from Calgary, will return to Calgary later this month.

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