Allan Ferchuk

Ferchuk was the Athletic Director at Red Deer College for 18 years and coached its Men’s Hockey team in the ACAC for 14 seasons.

After serving as the ACAC representative to the CCAA for three years, Ferchuk would join the CCAA Executive for 10 seasons from 1995-2005. He served as CCAA President from 1996-2002 and CCAA Past President from 2002-04. His six-year term as President is the longest in CCAA history.

“Allan played so many different roles within both organizations as a coach, athletic director and volunteer,” said Diane St-Denis, Athletic Director at Red Deer College. “He’s built championship teams, was instrumental in the birth of several programs with the ACAC – specifically women’s hockey and soccer – and contributed to the growth of the ACAC and CCAA through his tireless work on boards and committees.”

Ferchuk guided and governed the CCAA through financial strife and was instrument in the Association being reinstated for Sport Canada funding in 2000. He was also the CCAA Executive member responsible for the human rights challenge in 2003.

His fondest memories of the CCAA are the awesome professional relationships formed with colleagues, true sport professionals from across the country which includes the ‘CCAA sisterhood’.

“Without exaggeration, volunteering to serve within the CCAA was the best professional learning experience of my career,” said Ferchuk. “This speaks to the professionalism and expertise of CCAA staff and all CCAA executive volunteers and in my opinion highlights the crucial role of the CCAA: to optimally enhance the sport and personal development of our student-athletes.”

As head coach of the Men’s Hockey team at Red Deer, Ferchuk led the Kings to five appearances at CCAA National Championships. Red Deer captured CCAA titles in 1977, 1979 and 1980 and earned silver medals in 1978 and 1983. Among his fondest memories of the CCAA was experiencing the wonderful Saint-Georges de Beauce, QC, region with his hockey team in 1979.

“At that time, it strongly spoke to the positive outcomes of having students and staff share and learn about all regions of our great country,” said Ferchuk.

In 2002, Red Deer College hosted the first CCAA Cross-Country Running National Championships and in 2005, Ferchuk was the first from the ACAC to be named CCAA Athletic Director of the Year.

The former ACAC and CCAA Men’s Hockey Coach of the Year was inducted into the ACAC Hall of Fame in 2014.

Ferchuk retired from Red Deer College in 2010 and is currently a Leadership and Team Development Coach in Alberta.

Fellow CCAA Hall of Fame inductee Theresa Hanson (2017) worked closely with Ferchuk.

“Allan was an exceptional leader who empowered those around him to be better,” she said. “Leading by example with integrity, respect and professionalism, he was truly a game changer for the student-athlete experience and for the CCAA as a whole.”