Two-time Canadian champion Heather Nedohin will serve as coach for Team Homan this season.
The Ottawa-based crew — featuring skip Rachel Homan, third Tracy Fleury, second Emma Miskew, lead Sarah Wilkes and alternate Rachelle Brown — made the announcement Monday on social media.
Nedohin won her first Canadian women’s title in 1998 while playing third for Cathy King and skipped her own squad to the championship in 2012. She earned bronze medals both years at the world championship.
The 50-year-old from Sherwood Park, Alta., stepped back from competitive curling in 2015. She coached Team Einarson during the 2020-21 season, helping them win the Scotties Tournament of Hearts and reach the playoffs at the world championship in the Calgary bubble during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nedohin is no stranger to the team, having filled in at skip during the 2023 Saville Shootout event in Edmonton while Homan was on maternity leave. Team Homan went undefeated through the event, winning eight straight games, including a 7-6 victory over Team Jones in the final.
“I’m honoured to join Team Homan in this role,” Nedohin said in a team release. “Having had the opportunity to work with this group in 2023, I know firsthand their talent, determination, and passion for the sport. Rachel, Tracy, Emma, Sarah, and Rachelle are world-class athletes, and I look forward to helping them achieve their goals as we set our sights on the Olympic Trials.”
Brendan Bottcher started last season as Team Homan’s coach until he left to join Team Gushue at second in October. Jennifer Jones handled coaching duties on a few occasions, including the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, where the team retained its Canadian title. Curling Canada’s Viktor Kjell served on the bench when Team Homan successfully defended the world championship.
Nedohin joins at a pivotal point and will be tasked with helping guide Team Homan through the Montana’s Canadian Curling Trials in November as they look to represent the nation at next year’s Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina.
“Heather has been a mentor, competitor, and now a trusted leader for our team,” Homan added in the release. “From sparing with us in 2023 to now taking on this coaching role, she brings incredible experience and a fresh perspective. We’re thrilled to have her on the bench as we begin the new season.
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