Evan Lloyd: From Peace Country Courts to Leading the Wolves

Long before Evan Lloyd was leading Wolves Men’s Basketball, he was a young player in Bezanson discovering a love for the game. Basketball was a natural fit for a competitive kid growing up in a sports-loving family. Hockey was too expensive, but basketball offered a chance to compete, learn and build connections that would eventually shape his career.

“I grew up enjoying basketball,” Evan explains. “In junior high in Bezanson, my coaches grew my love for the game,” he says. 

At Peace Wapiti Academy, his dad became his coach. Not long after graduating, Evan stepped into that same coaching role himself. What began as a love of playing had become an opportunity to help others discover the game.

After beginning his coaching career at the high school level in 2007, Evan joined Northwestern Polytechnic’s basketball program in 2014. He became head coach for the 2017/18 Season and was named the 2024 ACAC Men’s Basketball North Coach of the Year. But for Evan, coaching has never been only about what happens on the scoreboard.

When he first moved into post-secondary coaching, Evan wasn’t much older than some of the players he was leading. Building trust meant showing up, putting in the work and earning their confidence.

“You’re in the trenches every day. Your eye is on the game, your boots are on the ground,” says Evan. “You have to show the players that what you’re saying is good information.” 

Working alongside former head coach Thomas Slifka gave Evan another opportunity to grow. “I was learning every day from someone who coached at a high level.”

That willingness to learn hasn’t changed, even after years of leading the Wolves. “I always ask, what can I do better? I’m learning from players how they do and don’t want to be coached,” he reflects. 

It’s an approach grounded in the belief that strong teams are built through relationships, accountability and a shared commitment to improvement. Each season brings a new group of athletes, and with them comes the challenge of bringing together different personalities and strengths.

“It’s a process. We all want to reach a championship. That requires work on a daily basis,” the coach explains. “There needs to be a willingness to buy into the role required of you. That puts the team in a position to win. My job is to get the guys to trust the process.”

That philosophy reflects the community where Evan first learned to play. “In northwestern Alberta, it’s a tough, hardworking culture. And we’re a tough, hardworking team.”

The lessons Evan hopes his players take away, however, go well beyond basketball.

“Coaches have a pretty big role. They teach trust, respect and honesty,” he notes. “That’s important in the workplace or with a significant other. We work to instill those values and skills.”

For Evan, that commitment begins long before athletes step onto the court as Wolves. Recruiting is a year-round responsibility, with Evan scouting players from across the Peace Country, Alberta and beyond.

“Recruitment is the biggest part of my job. It’s a year-long process,” he points out.

Away from the gym, Evan and his wife are raising their two young children and settling into a new home. Nearly two decades after beginning his coaching career, he remains connected to the region where his own love of basketball began.

From a young player inspired by his coaches in Bezanson to someone now helping shape the next generation, Evan understands the influence a coach can have long after the final buzzer.

“I want to be someone they can talk to even after they leave the sport.”