TORONTO, ON – The University of Regina Cougars fired now former track and field and cross country coach Wade Huber after previously suspending him due to inappropriate behaviour and conduct around the program’s female athletes.
The public knowledge of the dismissal comes a year after his initial suspension in Sept. 2022. However, a university spokesperson told media that his employment was terminated in Oct. 2022, following an internal investigation.
Following the university’s investigation, Athletics Canada, the governing body for athletics in Canada, took on their own investigation into the matter and have further suspended Huber indefinitely from sporting activities.
A report from Athletics Canada commissioner Commissioner Hugh Fraser suggested that was no sexual assault or misconduct against Huber. However, the report concluded that Huber “violated his responsibilities under the 2015 Athletics Canada Code of Conduct and Ethics, and constituted grooming, psychological maltreatment and sexual maltreatment under the 2021 Athletics Canada Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport.”
Huber allegedly commented about female athletes’ bodies and clothes, including bras. An examination of the report reveals Huber admitted to complementing an athlete on the fit of their bra.
Other allegations included the nature of Huber’s relationships with four female athletes who would have been teenagers at the time. The report suggests text messages, lengthy late-night phone calls, asking athletes to babysit his children, and visiting athlete’s families, were all things Huber took part in which “blurred the lines between what is acceptable in a coach-athlete relationship, and what is not.”
Another allegation included taking an inappropriate photo of one of the female student-athletes. A whistleblower also filed a complaint against the coach, saying he was “massaging female athletes at practice when experienced trainers were available to perform that task.”
The report suggests the allegations fall within Athletics Canada’s definitions of “grooming” and boundary violations,” leading to an indefinite suspension from all Athletics Canada activities.