Bio

Mike Katz arrived in Etobicoke in September 1984, hired to turn around the Humber men’s basketball program that only had one winning season during its first ten seasons of existence.

Katz not only turned around the team, he turned it into the nation’s preeminent program. During his 19-year career, he led the Hawks to ten Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) podium finishes – including ten consecutive trips to the national tournament.

From 1991 to 1995, Katz and the Hawks dominated the CCAA basketball circuit, becoming the first and only institution to capture four national titles in a five-year span. His fifth title came on home soil in 2001 when the Hawks beat rival Sheridan in front of a sold-out crowd. The title was captured by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) in an eight-part documentary called ‘The Team’.

Katz retired as Humber’s all-time winningest coach with a record of 290-68 (.810) in Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) play, as his teams advanced to the OCAA Final Four in each of his 19 seasons. His teams captured a league-best seven provincial titles during that span and produced seven CCAA All-Canadian selections.

Katz was named OCAA Coach of the Year on five occasions and earned the CCAA Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year award in 1995 and again in 2003. In 2001, he was the first-ever recipient of the CCAA Coaching Excellence Award, which annually recognizes coaching contributions to sport and athlete development over a period of five years or more.

On the national stage, Katz was the assistant coach of the Canadian basketball squad and took part in the 2000 Olympic Games and the 1994 and 2002 world championships. In 1997, he guided Canada’s team to a silver medal at the World University Games in Sicily. Katz was also the head coach of the Ontario provincial team from 1986 to 1989, capturing one gold and one silver medal.

Katz was a member of the first-ever class inducted into the Humber Varsity Hall of Fame and later had his banner raised to the rafters at the North Campus Gym. In 2014 he was inducted into the Ontario Basketball Hall of Fame and became Humber’s first inductee into the CCAA Hall of Fame in 2016. 

Head Coaching Tenure

19 seasons: 1984-93, 1994-04
Career Record: 315-76 (.806)

Medals

• 5x CCAA National Champion ('91, '92, '93, '95, '01)
• 3x CCAA Silver Medal ('88, '97, '00)
• 2x CCAA Bronze Medal ('96, '03)
• 7x OCAA Provincial Champion ('88, '91-'93, '95, '96, '00)
• 7x OCAA Silver Medal ('87, '89, '97-'99, '01, '03)
• 5x OCAA Bronze Medal ('85, '86, '02, '04) 

Coaching Accolades

• 2001 CCAA Coaching Excellence Award
• 2x CCAA Coach of the Year ('95, '03)
• 5x OCAA Coach of the Year ('85, '86, '95, '01, '03)
• 2016 CCAA Hall of Fame Inductee
• 2007 OCAA Hall of Fame Inductee
• 2004 Humber Hall of Fame Inductee
• Humber Athletics Honoured Jersey
• Humber Athletics Top-50 Influential

CCAA Postseason

• National Titles: Five ('91, '92, '93, '95, '01)
• Record: 25-8 (.758)
• Appearances: 12 ('88, '91-'93, '95-'01, '03)
• Final Four Appearances: 11 ('88, '91-'93, '95-'97, '99-'01, '03)

OCAA Postseason

• Provincial Titles: Seven ('88, '91-'93, '95, '96, '00)
• Postseason Record: 37-13 (.740)
• Appearances: 19 ('85-'93, '95-'04)
• Final Four Appearances: 19 ('85-'93, '95-'04)

OCAA Regular Season

• Division Titles: 8
• Record: 253-55 (.821)

Player Accolades

CCAA Recognition

• Hall of Fame: 0
• All-Canadians: 11
• Academic All-Canadians: 2
• Player of the Year: 0

OCAA Recognition

• Hall of Fame: 1
• Player of the Year: 1
• Scoring Champion: 0
• Div. Scoring Champion: 2
• League All-Stars: 40