Welcome Aboard

NANAIMO - A former VIU Mariner student-athlete and CCAA national champion is taking over the VIU men's basketball program.

Eric D'Andrea, who played at VIU for four seasons between 2012 and 2017, has been named head coach of the VIU men's basketball team and will lead the squad into the 2026-27 season.

"Being part of the program and playing here for as long as I did meant a lot to me," he said. "I'm honoured to be back in a place that was special to me over many years. I look forward to taking on the challenge of building on the success of the program and building the culture that made playing here such a great experience."

D'Andrea succeeds Matt Kuzminski, who coached VIU from 2012 until he stepped down at the end of the 2026 season. Both D'Andrea and Kuzminski made their Mariners debuts in the 2012-13 season as D'Andrea, a student-athlete, joined VIU after a transfer from Thompson Rivers University while Kuzminski started his post-secondary coaching career. That season culminated in a CCAA national championship and VIU's first national title in men's basketball since 1994.

Because of his connections with Kuzminski, D'Andrea expects a smooth transition into the new season. "This is a new adventure for the players and myself, but I've spoken with some of the players and our offensive and defensive plans will be similar to what Matt has cultivated over the past 14 years. My coaching philosophy was influenced a lot by Coach Matt and I think it'll be a similar playstyle for the guys this year and in the future."

Coaching Career

In addition to his familiarity with VIU and the Mariners men's basketball program, D'Andrea brings more than 15 years of experience coaching basketball at high school and club levels in British Columbia. He coached boys basketball at South Kamloops Senior Secondary while at TRU and coached teams at Nanaimo District Secondary and Woodlands Secondary while at VIU. 

Since 2016, D'Andrea has been a driving force with Split Second Basketball, a performance club program in the Lower Mainland. He served as the head of Split Second's Cobra Program, developed coaching curriculum and program standards, worked with teams ranging from U10 to U18 ages, and helped many top students from Greater Vancouver to navigate their path towards post-secondary basketball.

Eric with a team of Split Second Cobra Program athletes. Photo courtesy Eric D'Andrea

Coaching basketball is also in D'Andrea's blood. His father Blair D'Andrea coached high school basketball at L. V. Rogers Secondary School in Nelson, B.C. and won a provincial championship in Nanaimo when Dover Bay Secondary hosted the provincial tournament in 2000. Sadly, Blair passed away in 2013, shortly before Eric and his VIU team won the CCAA national championship, but the basketball connections between father and son and Nelson and Nanaimo bring added poignancy to Eric's new role as head coach of the Mariners.

Playing Career

D'Andrea was born and raised in Nelson, a town of 11,000 people in the Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia.  A multi-sport athlete, he began to focus his attention on basketball at L. V. Rogers under head coach Ross Naka and made two trips to the 2A BC high school boys basketball championship tournament.

He first taste of varsity basketball came when he made the TRU Wolfpack roster as a walk-on in 2010-11 under head coach Scott Clark. D'Andrea moved from the BC Interior to Vancouver Island in 2012 and won two conference gold and two conference silver over four seasons at VIU. The Mariners qualified for the CCAA national championships in three of those seasons and earned gold in 2013, silver in 2015, and a fourth-place finish in 2017. D'Andrea also served as team captain for two seasons.

His final season was his best season for individual stats as he averaged 7.1 points per game, highlighted by a career-best 19 points in a win over Camosun in the final home game of his varsity career. 

"I think back to making life-long friends as a player here," D'Andrea said. "I had teammates who were in my wedding party and who I still speak with to this day. That's the great experience about VIU: sport is great, but you get to be a part of something bigger than sport, and I really hope to continue to foster that. It brings me joy to see people are still proud to be part of the Mariners program because this is a special place."

Eric D'Andrea, with his mother Loni, is recognized prior to his final home game as a student-athlete on February 16, 2017. They are flanked by Mariners assistant coach Scott Marr (R) and head coach Matt Kuzminski (L). Photo: Northfield Photography

Coaching Staff

Two new assistant coaches were also named to D'Andrea's staff: Connor Billett and Jon Bethell, two teammates of Eric's from the 2012-13 VIU national championship team. Bethell was a dynamic point guard who earned conference All-Rookie Team honours while the sharp-shooting Billett went on to coach boys basketball in Nanaimo at Dover Bay Secondary and Nanaimo District Secondary.

Up Next: Preseason ID Camp and Summer Youth Camps

As part of offseason recruitment efforts, D'Andrea will run his first ID camp for prospective Mariners on Saturday, May 2 from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm. This camp is offered to interested parties in Grade 12 or secondary school graduates who have an interest in the VIU Men's Basketball program. Register via the 2026 Spring Camps link on VIU's ActiveCamps website.

Registration is now open for 'Mariners in Training' youth basketball camps at VIU. These are run by the Mariners coaches and student-athletes and are offered July 13-17 and August 10-14. For more information and to register, visit our Mariners in Training info page. 

For more information, please contact Matt Carter, VIU Communications and Sports Information Coordinator.