Michaela Kleisinger has U of R Cougars rolling as interim head coach

Michaela Kleisinger has been a part of the University of Regina Cougars pack since she was seven years old.

Now she’s leading it as the interim head coach of the women’s basketball team.

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“It’s surreal. I still don’t really believe it. I know there’s an interim tag on there so I’m a little bit on edge and on the edge of my seat but it’s so surreal,” the Regina product said. “The Cougar program has been a part of my life since I was seven years old. I went to Cougar camp and my family and I have been going to Cougar games my whole life. I grew up watching generations of people play who are now alumni who I am so proud to be a part of.

“I can’t believe I’m at the helm of it. When people come say, ‘I’m so proud of you,’ and all those things, it’s an unbelievable experience and the Regina basketball community is so, so supportive.”

Kleisinger was a five-year Cougar, playing with the team from 2015 to 2020. In her final year she averaged 13.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game during Canada West play.

She also recorded the first three triple-doubles in Cougar history.

Kleisinger went to the University of Alberta where she completed a Masters of Coaching as well as being an assistant coach with the Pandas.

She returned to Regina for the 2022-23 season as an assistant coach to Dave Taylor.

But heading into the 2025-26 season, Taylor elected to leave to become the head coach of the University of British Columbia women’s basketball team. Taylor had been with the U of R since 1993, first becoming the head coach in 2006.

“It was an utter shock. I had no idea he had even applied to move on,” Kleisinger said. “It was shocking, it was very sudden. It was one of those moments where people were reminding me (this opportunity) is what you’ve been hoping for.

“It’s overwhelming but what a privilege it is to be tired from the work I once wished for.”

Brenna Metz is a fifth-year player on the Cougars and admitted it was a shock that Taylor was leaving.

“I always envisioned Dave being here for my fifth year – him recruiting me out of high school, him coaching me throughout the years and just him being such a local person in the community,” Metz said. “It was pretty shocking but I think it was the right move for him and I’m happy to have Michaela.”

Kleisinger said Taylor had asked to meet her in person to break the news to her.

“I was worried originally and then he just said, ‘I’m going to take the job at UBC’ and I was really happy for him. If he felt that was the place for him, I was really happy he got the opportunity to go and try something different. It was a fresh opportunity for us as well and I think it’s working out for both parties,” Kleisinger said.

Taylor told her that their athletic director would offer her the interim coaching position.

“It is a shift because the assistant coach gets to have all the fun – they don’t have to break any hard news,” Kleisinger said. “I’m so grateful for the girls for their support because I don’t know it all. I’ve never done this role before.”

Metz said there is a difference in coaching styles between the two.

“She gets that player point of view. She’s been on the court and it hasn’t been that long that she played as a Cougar so she gives that fresh sense of how basketball has progressed over the past few years and knows what it’s like to be a female on the court,” Metz said.

With Kleisinger being a mainstay with the Cougars for so long, Metz said you could tell how much the community supports her.

“Our first two games, we joked that Michaela had more fans than some of us did with her whole family coming out and those she has build relationships with in the community and she has coached at Campbell and different high school levels and provincial as well,” Metz said. “Really having that known person around is great and people love her and there’s a reason – she knows her stuff and is a great coach. I’m glad to see her excel at the next level.”

The team has answered the call despite the big change. The Cougars sit at 14-0 in Canada West action.

“It’s been phenomenal. I inherited an amazing group of women to work with and obviously they have been performing well, which helps,” Kleisinger said. “It’s a dream come true and winning games helps with that.

“It’s so well deserved. These girls have worked, some of the for six years based on COVID and those kinds of things, and I’ve known for the past three years I’ve been with the team that we were under-performing a little bit. This is sort of the success that I saw for this group so I’m just so happy to see it come to life.”

Metz said a lot of it is credited to Kleisinger but also the leadership of the team.

“We’ve seen this program be successful in the past during the regular season but not quite make that playoff push so I think we’re really eager and we really want to make it to the national championships,” Metz said. “I think that influence from the leaders on our team has been really good passing it down to the first years. That’s great and I think that’s what motivated us and we’re all just really good friends so we want to support each other and make our common goal.”

She also has also indicated she would like to stay on as the head coach for the years to come.

“Mostly, I just don’t want to see the girls have to change again. I want some continuity for them and I think I provided a little bit of that for them this year and I’d like to see that for them in the future,” Kleisinger said.