HarbourCats' Haney named WCL's top coach
Victoria HarbourCats head coach Todd Haney has been named West Coast League Coach of the Year. Photo: Christian J. Stewart, Victoria HarbourCats
August 18, 2023
Official Victoria HarbourCats News Release
VICTORIA, B.C. — A record season for home wins, a North Division championship and a long list of records and league-leading offensive performances don’t happen without a great coaching staff— and a stellar head coach.
The Victoria HarbourCats are pleased to announce that third-year head coach Todd Haney has been named the top coach in the West Coast League for 2023, a most deserving honour.
Haney, a five-year Major League player out of Texas, led the HarbourCats to a 38-15 record including a 25-2 home mark, a league record for home victories that may never be broken. The team then went 3-1 in playoffs, eliminating Wenatchee and Bellingham at home — moving the mark at Wilson’s Group Stadium to 27-2 — before falling just short of the WCL title due to a 5-0 loss in Corvallis in a single-game championship matchup.
“Todd checks all the boxes for us — he develops players, he communicates effectively, and he teaches players how to win in a pro-style atmosphere that prepares them for returning to school or moving to the next level,” said managing partner Jim Swanson. “And, he and his wife Kira love Victoria and represent the city, the organization and the league at the utmost level.
“I know Todd will be the first to deflect this onto the players, the ones who show dedication and commitment right to the end of the season and playoffs, and also to the front office — and he definitely has surrounded himself with outstanding coaches with Scott Anderson, Steve Sinclair, Troy Birtwistle, Jaxon Williams and Ethan Fox.”
Haney holds two of the top-10 best win totals in league history, posting 39 wins (54 game schedule) in 2019, his first year as head coach, and 38 in 2023 — and he has never missed the playoffs, getting to the postseason in 2022 after two years away because of the pandemic, with a 26-28 record that year and a combined 103-58 record overall in his three years at the helm.
“Todd is on a long-term contract with us and we are excited for next season, with his coaching approach and his recruiting network bringing in more exciting players for our fans to cheer for,” said Swanson. “I think I speak for everyone in our organization and our support base — Congrats, Todd, and Kira, well deserved.”