West Kelowna Warriors Head Coach Taking Position with WHL's Vancouver Giants

West Kelowna Warriors head coach taking position with WHL's Vancouver Giants

West Kelowna Warriors head coach and GM Simon Ferguson is moving on. After six-and-a-half seasons guiding the Warriors, Ferguson has accepted the job of associate coach with the Western Hockey League's Vancouver Giants. Ferguson was hired in late December of 2019, replacing then head coach and gener...

Head coach of West Kelowna Warriors to join Vancouver Giants in WHL

Longtime head coach of the West Kelowna Warriors Simon Ferguson will be saying his goodbyes to the organization. On Monday, Aug. 4, it was announced that Ferguson will be ending his six-year-long tenure as head coach as he has taken a position as an assistant coach with the Vancouver Giants in the WHL. “I would like to thank everyone in the West Kelowna Warriors organization for making my time here so rewarding. A special thank you to John Murph…

West Kelowna Warriors Announce Simon Ferguson Departure

The West Kelowna Warriors announced that Head Coach/GM, Simon Ferguson, will step down from his role with the organization effective immediately.  Ferguson has accepted the role of Associate Coach for the Vancouver Giants in the WHL. Owner and Governor of the Warriors, John Murphy, stated, “We want to thank Simon for his time with the Warriors.  He joined us over six years ago and through strong leadership instilled a culture that is consistent with our mission to win consistently, develop players for the next level, and give back to our community.  I enjoyed building a strong relationship with Simon.  He is a great hockey coach, and, importantly, a person of high character.  We wish Simon and his family all the best as they begin this next chapter”. In the five full seasons where Ferguson was the head coach, the Warriors posted a record of 161W-81L-28OTL in 270GP for a winning percentage of 0.648.  Notable achievements included franchise records in wins (40) and winning percentage (0.769) in a season, a Ron Boileau Trophy for finishing atop the regular season standings in 2025/26, and a trip to the Conference Finals in 2021/22.  Individual recognition came this past season when Ferguson was named a finalist for BCHL Coach of the Year.  In addition, Ferguson developed many players who have excelled with the Warriors and at the college and professional level.  Under Simon, Tyson Jugnauth and Isaiah Norlin won BCHL Defenseman of the Year and Angelo Zol won BCHL Goaltender of the Year.  Eleven Warriors that played for Ferguson have played in the AHL and one in the NHL.  Six players have been drafted in the NHL and dozens of players have earned scholarships to play college hockey. Addressing his time with the Warriors, Simon Ferguson stated, “I would like to thank everyone in the West Kelowna Warriors organization for making my time here so rewarding. A special thank you to John Murphy and Rod Hume for their trust, support, and belief in me throughout my time with the organization. They set an incredibly high standard as owners and I believe they are truly the very best anyone could hope to work for. I’m also incredibly grateful to our players, staff, billets, volunteers, sponsors, and fans who made this such a special place to coach. While I’m excited for the opportunity to join the Vancouver Giants, West Kelowna will always hold a special place in my heart, and I’ll be cheering for the continued success of the Warriors.” The team intends to begin a search for a new Head Coach immediately and expects to have the individual in place before training camp begins on September 4th.  Until that time, all hockey operations will be handled by current Assistant Coach, Wyatt Head, and Director of Scouting, Liam Blackburn. Owner and CEO, Rod Hume, commented, “Our organization is passionate about building a strong development platform.  This is first and foremost about players, but we also want to develop great coaches.  Simon wants to coach at the highest level of the game, and we support him in his climb.  Our focus now turns to filling the vacancy and we look forward to interviewing several strong candidates in the days ahead.”