McDonald and Stjepanovic named provincial team head coaches

WOLFVILLE – Acadia’s Haley McDonald and Igor Stjepanovic were announced this week as head coaches of Basketball Nova Scotia (BNS) provincial teams for 2024.

Stjepanovic will lead the U15 boys program, while McDonald takes over the U17 girls team.

“I am so excited to be part of the BNS family in a head coaching capacity,” said McDonald. “Over the year, I have been working to further my own coaching skills and I'm happy to see my commitment paying off. My coaching philosophy is grounded in competition, accountability and fun. I hope to provide the athletes with a strong, confident female role model that will push them to a higher standard. I believe our small province is capable of making big waves nationally and I cannot wait to get started." 

McDonald is a familiar name around Acadia, having finished her basketball career with the Axewomen in 2023 as the all-time leading scorer at Acadia and in the AUS with 1,846 points. Over her youth career she represented BNS on five different occasions, both at the U15 and U17 national championships.

With the Axewomen she captured two AUS championships, was an AUS MVP, four-time all-star and three-time All-Canadian. During her final season with the Axewomen, she was awarded the AUS’ James Bayer Memorial Scholarship for her contributions to athletics, academics, leadership, sportsmanship, and citizenship. Most recently, she was recognized as a TOP 8 U SPORTS Academic All-Canadian and Governor General medal winner. She is currently an assistant coach with the Acadia women’s basketball team.

For Stjepanovic, this is his first involvement with the BNS programs.

“"I am incredibly honoured and humbled to have been chosen as the head coach of the boys U15 Basketball Nova Scotia provincial team,” said Stjepanovic. “It is a privilege to be entrusted with this responsibility and I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the development of young athletes across Nova Scotia. This appointment is not just a personal achievement but a reflection of the collective efforts of many who have supported me along this journey. I look forward to working alongside these talented players, supporting them as they strive for excellence both on and off the court. I am committed to giving my utmost to this role and am excited to see the team grow and succeed together.”

 A native of Windsor, Ont., Stjepanovic began his coaching career serving as a high school boys and girls head coach for five years. He finished his Bachelor of Human Kinetics degree at the University of Windsor while also head coaching AAU/OBA club basketball.

Following his undergraduate degree, he spent two years as a graduate assistant with Western University while completing his Master’s in Coaching. He then spent four years at the University of Windsor as the lead assistant coach where he helped the program return to top ten national status.

During this time, Stjepanovic also served as assistant coach with the Hamilton Honey Badgers of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) for three seasons. The final season cultivated in a CEBL championship.

He is currently completing his Bachelor of Education at Acadia, while being an assistant coach for the Axemen alongside head coach Mike Leslie.