The University of Toronto Varsity Blues are excited to announce Dianna Ros as the new head coach of the women’s basketball program. She becomes the 20th head coach in program history, dating back to 1920.
“Today marks an exciting chapter for the University of Toronto’s women’s basketball program as we welcome Coach Ros as our new head coach”, said Mary Beth Challoner, director of intercollegiate and high performance sport. “With an impressive track record of success at every level, Dianna brings a wealth of experience, dedication, and a vision that aligns perfectly with our commitment to excellence. We are confident that under her leadership, our team will not only achieve new heights in competition but also foster a culture of integrity, teamwork, and academic achievement. We are thrilled to have Dianna join the Varsity Blues family and look forward to an exciting future ahead.”
Ros joins the Blues after most recently spending two seasons as head coach of the Bishop’s Gaiters women’s basketball program. During those two years she amassed an impressive 25-11 overall record, reaching the RSEQ championship final in both campaigns. She was honoured with the 2023 RSEQ coach of the year award, while her teams received five RSEQ major awards, six RSEQ all-stars and two U SPORTS all-Canadian recognitions.
“I’m so grateful and excited for the opportunity to join the Varsity Blues women’s basketball program and its community,” said Ros. “It’s a program with a strong history of success and I can’t wait to keep building on that. University of Toronto is known for its unwavering commitment to excellence and it is what makes it an appealing environment. I look forward to building relationships with everyone involved in our program. My priority will be to empower these young women to achieve their goals on-and-off the court and create a safe environment for them to develop, grow and compete in.”
Following graduation from McGill with a Bachelor’s in rehabilitation science and Master’s in physical therapy, Ros began her coaching journey as an assistant coach with Vanier College. After four seasons with the Cheetahs, she returned to McGill as a full-time associate coach, before making the leap to Bishop’s as the bench boss.
Ros has also coached with the Quebec provincial teams, leading the U17 girls to the 2023 national championship, and with Team Canada, serving as an assistant coach and performance analyst at the 2023 FIBA U16 Women’s Americas Championship.
As a player, Ros competed with Montmorency College in CEGEP before stepping up to U SPORTS competition with the McGill Martlets. During her five-year career with the Martlets, she earned RSEQ rookie of the year, was named a U SPORTS all-rookie, earned RSEQ second team all-star honours twice, and helped the Martlets to five straight conference titles and a national championship appearance in each season. She served as a team captain with the Martlets and excelled academically garnering U SPORTS academic all-Canadian honours. Additionally, she competed provincially with Team Quebec and nationally with Team Canada as a member of the national development team.
