The situation surrounding the University of Regina Cougars women’s basketball program continues to raise questions, and according to Arash Madani, it’s not just the decision itself, it’s how everything has unfolded.
Speaking on the SportsCage, Madani shed more light on the hiring process that ultimately saw Michaela Kleisinger passed over for the full-time head coaching role, despite a strong season as interim.
“On the surface, all of this says no-brainer that they’re going to hire Kleisinger,” Madani said.
Kleisinger, a former standout player with the Cougars, stepped into the interim role and guided the program to a 17-3 regular-season record, earning praise from across the department and from her players. That success, combined with her ties to the program, made her a natural candidate in the eyes of many.
However, Madani explained the decision wasn’t made lightly, pointing to a structured and extensive hiring process.
“I’ve been told they had a full committee, a couple of hours of technical questions, technical presentations with each coaching candidate and apparently, the person who they selected absolutely blew them away.”
Even so, the reaction has been strong locally, something Madani says the university should have anticipated.
“You have an alum who’s well-connected, who’s well-liked, who’s had a bunch of success and you’re saying, well, how does this even happen?”
Part of the concern stems from how the situation has evolved since the decision. Madani noted that, while not officially confirmed, there have been indications players or stakeholders sought answers from leadership, leading to further involvement at the university level.
“This is something that is not sourced, but I’ve been led to believe that the team and/or some players requested a meeting and then it was the president of the university who instigated this review, investigation, whatever you want to call it,” Madani said.
That development has only added to the uncertainty around the program.
“It’s a small community, it’s an even smaller basketball community,” he added. “To do this all in the cloak of darkness and secrecy, I just don’t understand it.”
Madani also questioned whether there may have been a middle ground, a way to balance due diligence in hiring with Kleisinger’s proven results.
“If you do have questions, why not sign or make an offer for a three-year contract, a prove-it deal. To me, that would have made a lot more sense.”
He pointed to a comparable situation within Canadian university basketball, where continuity was rewarded.
“At UBC, they gave Phil Jalalpoor a one-year interim role; they just made Phil the full-time coach,” Madani said.
As for what happens next in Regina, much remains unclear.
“I don’t know what university protocols are, I don’t know if a job was offered, I don’t know what the results of the investigation may or may not be.”
For now, the situation remains fluid with questions still lingering around a program that, not long ago, was coming off one of its most successful seasons in recent memory.
