After more than seven years of leading one of Canada’s most successful athletics departments, Keith Hansen will be stepping down as Athletics Director for Red Deer College to pursue his passion as a full time instructor at the college.
Hansen’s time as RDC’s athletic director included accomplishments as both a coach and instructor, in which he led the Kings volleyball team for 12 seasons – in which he won nine Canadian College Athletic Association (CCAA) national championships.
Following his ninth win, Hansen stepped down as coach and into the role of athletic director. His time as the director saw him recognized as the CCAA Athletic Director of the Year for 2011-12 with RDC winning the CCAA Innovation Award in 2013-14 for the RDC captain’s council.
Hansen has been awarded the RDC Distinguished Alumnus award, been inducted into the Alberta Volleyball Hall of Fame as a coach, received the Province of Alberta Coaching Award, twice has been selected as the CCAA Coaching Excellence Award winner for all sports and has since won the City of Red Deer coach of the year two times as well.
The former Kings volleyball coach was also involved in many college initiatives over the years, and well respected within the larger community for his involvement in developing sport through other parts of Alberta and across Canada as a contributing member of a variety of committees and task forces.
His volunteer work stretched from being a member of Volleyball Canada Domestic Development Committee, a task force member on the implementation of the Alberta Sport Plan, board member of Alberta Volleyball, executive member of the Alberta College’s Athletics Conference (ACAC), president of the Central Alberta Kings Volleyball Club as well as numerous other positions.
“It is with great excitement and a little angst that I step down as Athletic Director of RDC,” said Hansen in a press release shared by the college.
“The athletic program as RDC has been a major part of my life for 21 years – two as an athlete, 12 as a coach, seven as athletic director – so it is hard to step away from something that has given me so much enjoyment.
“That being said, I knew it was time to step away from coaching and move into administration and I now know it is time to step away from administration in full time academia.”
– Swan
