Chris Biegler BA’89, BASc’96

By Julie Woldu BAJ'07

There was a time when Chris Biegler BA'89, BASc'96 wasn’t sure he would continue playing basketball. A conversation with University of Regina Cougars basketball coach Ken Murray changed that – and likely altered the rest of his life. Since joining the team in 1985, Biegler still hasn’t left the basketball court – nor the connections and life experience basketball taught him. “For me, it was the whole experience. The people, the players, the team putting in the time together, and the lifelong friendships I made,” he says.

While his first season with the team was a rebuilding year, Biegler led the Cougars to rank in the country's top ten and play in the Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union (CIAU) Basketball Championships in 1989. He picked up many accolades along the way and remains the only player from the University of Regina to ever win the Mike Moser Memorial Trophy as the Canadian university player of the year (in 1987). He was a three-time All-Canadian, a Great Plains Athletic Conference most valuable player and four-time first-team all-star, a CIAU men’s basketball championships all-star, all-time leader in scoring average and free throw percentage, and a two-time U of R Male Athlete of the Year. He is the only player to have his jersey—number 33—retired by the team. But for Biegler, it’s the success of the team that stands out. “You can’t inbound the ball to yourself. You always need someone to help you along the way,” he says, quickly noting that the Cougars’ success in his four seasons with the U of R was a team effort led by Coach Murray.

In 1983-84, Biegler played with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies, but said he wasn’t ready for university. When he returned to Regina, Murray invited him to practice with the Cougars while he played in a men’s basketball league, played with a travelling men’s basketball team, and focused on academics. The following season, he committed to the U of R Cougars.

“It was an interesting mix because some of the players I had played against or with through high school. It was very familiar, and we just gelled,” he says. “We had the drive to be better, and we wanted to win. So, we worked hard, put in the time, trusted Ken’s systems and we would beat better teams.”

Chris Biegler BA’89, BASc’96 in the 80s. Photo: University of Regina Athletics
Chris Biegler BA’89, BASc’96 in the 80s. Photo: University of Regina Athletics

“I tell the kids I coach — put in the time, put in the work, trust your teammates, and work hard together. Magic can happen.”

Looking back, it is rewarding for Biegler to have been part of a team that helped set up the future for the Cougars and the rest of his life. He also had the privilege of playing with his two younger brothers, Lawrence and Roland, which is rare in university sports. “In team sports, it’s the people, the players, these lifelong friendships I made,” he says. “They were my second family. Seven days a week from September to March.”

Biegler completed his Bachelor of Arts in Math at the U of R before playing a year of professional basketball in Germany. He enjoyed his time touring Europe and visiting relatives. Then he returned to Regina and worked with Basketball Saskatchewan before returning to the U of R, where he achieved a Bachelor of Applied Science in Industrial Systems Engineering. It was there he met his future spouse, Leah Lawrence BASc'94. Their careers took them to Calgary, where Biegler worked with ATCO Energy Solutions, and then onto Ottawa in 2015, where he became a consultant with Clean Energy Capitalists.

“Playing a sport – especially a team sport, where people are relying on you, and you go through the cycles of the highs, the lows, the winning, and the losing, putting in the time and the effort, it sets you up further down the road for whatever happens in your life,” he says. “You can handle anything because you’ve experienced the pressure to succeed, the pressure to perform. Working together as a team transfers from sports, and you’ll be better at what you do.”

Biegler has coached basketball throughout the years and is currently an assistant coach at a high school in Ottawa, while also scouting players in various age groups for club basketball. In addition to playing in a master’s league in Ottawa, he plays in masters tournaments worldwide, including the National Masters Basketball Championships in Florida each spring. Next up is the FIMBA World Maxibasketball Championships in June in Switzerland – a tournament he last played in Helsinki in 2019, where his Canadian team reached the quarterfinals.

Even from across the country, Biegler stays connected to Cougar basketball. He returns to Regina a few times a year, and he often catches up with fellow U of R alumni. He was one of the key initiators in the Cougar Alumni Basketball Endowment Fund and continues to be involved with the program. His contributions to the sport have been recognized through inductions into the University of Regina Sports Hall of Fame, the Regina Sports Hall of Fame, the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame, and his jersey retirement with the Cougars.

“Coaching, playing, working, I just keep on moving,” he says of his life today. “I tell the kids I coach - with sport, you can travel, see your province, see Canada, see different countries. Put in the time, put in the work, trust your teammates, and work hard together. Magic can happen.”

About the Author

Julie Woldu BAJ’07 is a sportswriter and fiction author based in Regina.

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Seven years in the NFL, a Grey Cup ring, and multiple Canadian Interuniversity Sport  awards are just a few unexpected turns on Brett Jones' road to medical school. Jones attributes his success to the University of Regina and the Regina Rams, with whom he played from 2009 to 2012. There, despite adversity, he learned resilience and how to rely on his support system to continue achieving his goals.

"The best thing that ever happened to me was getting a chance to play here," he says of his time as a student-athlete at the U of R. Growing up playing football in Weyburn, Jones hadn't thought about university athletics until Rams coaches, suggested he should consider trying out. By his second season, Jones realized he could have a future in football. "Once I started to believe that I could, things started to change," he said. "All the hard work I was putting in was really paying off."

As an offensive lineman, Jones frequently practiced against Rams defensive linemen and future NFLers Akiem Hicks and Stefan Charles. "If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be the player I was," Jones says. "They were just so good."

After Hicks was drafted, Jones had conversations with NFL teams but ultimately, they suggested he needed time in the CFL first. He signed a two-year contract with the Calgary Stampeders in 2013 based on one condition - whether or not his medical school application was successful.

Brett Jones BASci'19 in action. Photo: U of R Photography Brett Jones BASci'19 in action. Photo: U of R Photography

"The cool part about life is that you don't know what you're going to get. Just do your best every day, striving for excellence, and see what happens."

Jones has achieved multiple accolades as an athlete. He was a two-time Canada West All-Star and CIS First-Team All-Canadian; he was named the Canada West Outstanding Lineman and Canada West Outstanding Student-Athlete; and was the U of R Male Athlete of the Year. He was also an Academic All-Canadian each year - keeping the focus on academics first and foremost. "I needed to get really high grades in order to be competitive to get into medical school," he says. Partway through his undergraduate degree, Jones switched to the Faculty of Engineering. When his 2012 application to medical school was unsuccessful, his professional football career began, but he never gave up on a career in medicine. "Sometimes you think you want to do something, but then you get put on a path that's just different," he said. "Football really taught me more about myself, gave me confidence, and helped me in my ability to see what I can do. I owe the game a lot."

He played with the Stampeders for two seasons and won a Grey Cup in 2014, proving himself worthy of the NFL , where he signed with the New York Giants. After three seasons, he was traded to the Minnesota Vikings, where he would spend another three. Each season was never a given, as he had to continue to prove he was good enough to remain on the 53-man roster-even while overcoming two torn Medical Collateral Ligaments. "Things didn't always go to plan; however, my belief in my process and myself, as well as my support system, is what got me to where I am today," he says.

While taking Cree 100 at a class at the First Nations University at the U of R, Jones met his wife, Amy. She has supported him through the CFL, NFL, and in his academic journey. In his off-seasons, Jones returned to Regina to finish his university degree and continue to work toward medical school. "There were so many people who really assisted me in achieving my degree," he says, noting that the U of R always sees students as individuals and not just a student number. "Dr. David deMontigny, Dr. Peter Gu, and Dr. Gary Zhao are just a few of the people at the U of R who were willing to go above and beyond for me because they saw value in what I was trying to do. It was a long journey for me to get to where I am in medical school today, sharing my story of sport and education and how integral they both are to each other."

Jones completed his Bachelor of Science in 2019 and was playing his first season with the Denver Broncos, in 2021, when he tore his biceps and finished his NFL career. For the next two years, his applications to medical school placed him on the waitlist. His experiences in football, however, had taught him not to give up, but to reflect on how he could work harder and improve to find a way forward. In the fall of 2024, he was accepted into medical school at the University of Saskatchewan through the Regina Campus. "It came in a different manner than I could have predicted, but the cool part about life is that you don't know what you're going to get. Just do your best every day, striving for better or excellence, and then you just see what happens."

After leaving the NFL, he returned to the Rams in 2022 as a volunteer coach, which he continues despite his busy schedule. He feels it's important as volunteer coaches -Jerry Orban, Tom MacCallum, and Sheldon Neald - were integral in his own career. "I'm showing (athletes) what it takes if you aspire to play at the next level," he said. "The quote I use is that 'it takes what it takes'. So, you're going to have to push yourself further than you thought you ever could."

Top: Brett Jones BASc'19. Photo: Trevor Hopkin, U of R Photography

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Hockey brought Darrin McKechnie to the University of Regina Cougars, but he left with more than just success on the ice -hhe gained valuable preparation for the future. "I owe the program a ton," says McKechnie, looking back at the past few decades, which began with five years playing with the Cougars between 1988 and 1993. "I would never have guessed that this is the path that would present itself. I'm just a very, very lucky person."

After playing in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, McKechnie played for two seasons with the WHL's Regina Pats, amassing an impressive point total. He considered options for playing professional hockey in Europe, but ultimately decided to take advantage of his WHL scholarship money and attend university. "Bill Liskowich was the Men's Hockey Head Coach at the U of R. He called me, and I had so much respect for Bill, so it just seemed like a really good fit to go and play for him."

Under Coach Liskowich, the team quickly improved, even finishing in first place in 1991-92, though ultimately, the Cougars lost that year in the league final to the University of Alberta Golden Bears, as they had in 1990-91 and would in 1992-93. "We were ranked number one in Canada a couple of those years," McKechnie recalls, noting that making it to the final three years in a row were particularly memorable. "We had a lot of success and won a lot of games. I have so many highlights, from being a fledgling team trying to get into that upper echelon to upset victories over Calgary for our first playoff series win."

His greatest highlight, however, was the long-lasting friendships he made with his teammates from those five years. "We were such a tight group then and still are all these years later." McKechnie also won a few national awards, including being named to the Canada West All-Star team in 1992 - the same year he was named the CIS Most Sportsmanlike Player.

Black and white archival image of individual in hockey jersey Darrin McKechnie BA(Adv)'93 Photo: U of R Athletics

"I'm looking forward to hopefully being with the team for a long time."

His five years of successful, enjoyable hockey with the Cougars led to a career with the Regina Police Service and coaching opportunities that continue to this day. "After five years of going to school, I had a degree, I had some life experience, and it translated into a successful application with the Regina Police," says McKechnie. "I can't imagine doing anything else as a career. I loved every second."

Becoming a police officer hadn't been McKechnie's plan. He achieved a Bachelor of Arts with a major in geography, assuming he would become an urban planner. Instead, after a few conversations with close friends who were police officers, he considered a different path. His career took him through various roles within the Regina Police Service, including 12 years on the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team. "It was exceptional training and so much of a team atmosphere, just like hockey," he says. McKechnie also worked in the gang unit, major crimes, and then entered management, where he was in charge of the SWAT team and other specialty units such as K9, the bomb team, crisis negotiators, and the dive team.

While advancing his career and growing his family, McKechnie stayed heavily involved in hockey. He played senior hockey, including in the Allan Cup in 2000 along with several of his former Cougar teammates, before coaching became his focus.

His first opportunity to coach was with Liskowich, who asked him to return as an assistant coach with the Cougars in 1996 - which meant coaching some of his former teammates. When Liskowich left the team after the 1999-2000 season, McKechnie also decided to step away and would soon begin coaching his son, Tanner, who was then in 3-4-5 hockey. "I kept on moving up with him and coached every year, until he left to play junior hockey," he says. "It was great. He and I are very close, and I think a lot of that is because we spent so much time together." McKechnie spent the 2014-15 season as an assistant coach with the Regina Pats before taking over as coach of the Midget AAA Regina Pat Canadians for eight years.

Today, McKechnie spends time on his acreage, where he enjoys hunting, fishing, and riding horses. He's also watched his children succeed - his son as a firefighter and his daughter as she finished her first degree at the U of R and is now in her second year as a medical student through the University of Saskatchewan on the Regina Campus.

He has now returned to his role as an assistant coach with the Cougar men's hockey team after head coach Todd Johnson asked him to join the team this season. "It's been 30 years, but the hockey is the same, and the players are very dialed in and want to be better," says McKechnie. "I'm looking forward to hopefully being with the team for a long time."

Top: Darrin McKechnie BA(Adv)'93. Photo: Trevor Hopkin, U of R Photography

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