Bev Greenlaw named Honorary Chair of 2026 Bell AUS Basketball Championships

(HALIFAX, N.S.) Atlantic University Sport is pleased to announce celebrated basketball builder and coach Bev Greenlaw has been named the honorary chair of the 2026 Bell AUS Basketball Championships, presented by Gatorade, set for Feb. 20–22 at Scotiabank Centre in Halifax.

A 2025 inductee into the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame, Greenlaw has been a respected mentor and program builder in Atlantic Canadian basketball for more than five decades.

Born and raised in St. Stephen, N.B., now a resident of Grand Pré, N.S., Greenlaw arrived in Halifax in 1969 as a student-athlete at the University of King's College. After helping lead King's to a Nova Scotia College Conference championship in 1970, an injury cut short his playing career and sparked a lifelong commitment to coaching and community leadership.

That commitment began with volunteer coaching at the YMCA's Community Y in Halifax's North End and soon extended to the university level, where Greenlaw would go on to make a lasting impact within Atlantic University Sport.

Greenlaw's AUS coaching career includes impactful tenures with both the Dalhousie Tigers men's team and the Acadia Axewomen.

"Bev Greenlaw is someone I've known and respected for a very long time, and his impact on basketball in our region is impossible to overstate," said AUS interim president and CEO John Keefe. "That impact was recently recognized with his induction into the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame.

"With lasting contributions at both Acadia and Dalhousie and across the men's and women's game, Bev has left a meaningful legacy within Atlantic University Sport. He's a fitting choice to serve as honorary chair of this championship, and we're grateful he has agreed to take on the role."

From 1987 to 1994, Greenlaw served as head coach of the Dalhousie Tigers men's basketball program, where he helped revitalize the team and strengthen its connection to the broader basketball community. During his time at Dalhousie, Greenlaw conceived of and launched the Rod Shoveller Memorial Tournament, an event that has become a lasting fixture on the Tigers' calendar. Now known as the Rod & Joan Shoveller Memorial Men's Basketball Tournament, it continues to be held annually and remains a key part of Dalhousie basketball tradition.

Greenlaw later turned his focus to the women's game, culminating in a seven-season tenure as head coach of the Acadia University Axewomen. Under his leadership, the program reached new heights, capturing the 2012 AUS championship—the program's first Atlantic conference title since the 1951-52 season. That same year, Greenlaw was named AUS Coach of the Year.

His influence extended well beyond his university teams, as he helped grow basketball in the Annapolis Valley through youth camps, the Junior Axewomen program, and regional clinics.

His broader contributions include coaching Team Nova Scotia to gold at the 1987 Canada Games and receiving national recognition, including induction into the CCAA Hall of Fame and an honorary doctorate from the University of King's College.

As honorary chair, Greenlaw will take part in ceremonial duties throughout championship weekend, including courtside appearances and awards presentations.

The 2026 Bell AUS Basketball Championships, presented by Gatorade, will feature six women's teams and six men's teams competing for conference titles and berths in the U SPORTS national championships. The three-day event runs Feb. 20–22 at Scotiabank Centre in Halifax.

For schedules, ticket information and event updates, visit AUShoops.ca and follow the road to the championships all season long on AUStv.

Past AUS Basketball Championship Honorary Chairs

• 2025 – Phil Currie (AUS)
• 2024 – Steve Konchalski (STFX)
• 2023 – No honorary chair appointed
• 2022 – Dr. Robert Strang (Chief Medical Officer – Nova Scotia)
• 2021 – No championship held (COVID-19)
• 2020 – Jenine (Browne) MacFadden (Memorial)
• 2019 – Joyce (Douthwright) Slipp (UNB)
• 2018 – Wade Smith (posthumous) (STFX)
• 2017 – Justine Colley (Saint Mary's)
• 2016 – Will Njoku (Saint Mary's)
• 2015 – Theresa McCuish (STFX)