Towering in stature, strong in skill, humble in heart.
Franco Kouagnia’s two seasons on a Prince George basketball court were as memorable as they come, it wasn’t just his six-foot-seven height that put opponents on posters when dunking the rock on a near-nightly basis.
He helped guide UNBC through a tough transition, doing so in his final year in getting the men’s basketball program to its first winning record and playoff appearance at Canada’s highest level of university sport.
As of this morning (March 22), Kouagnia now stands tall on the Timberwolves’ Wall of Honour as the 11th inductee of its inaugural 2021 class.
“You had to see Franco to believe it,” remarked Head Coach Todd Jordan.
“He was a dominant presence in our league, with his combination of strength, athleticism, and footwork.”
Thanks to those qualities, Kouagnia, and what was described as a ‘deep and talented’ roster, was able to get UNBC’s men’s basketball team to a 12-8 record in 2015, earning that first postseason berth since joining U SPORTS (2012) and receiving the school’s first-ever All-Star nod (Second Team).
That same year, he was named UNBC Athletics’ Male Athlete of the Year.
Having that big body in the paint had its advantages, but Kouagnia’s energy and determination were also driving factors to the T-Wolves’ success.
“Franco is, still, by far the strongest player I have ever played against,” said former teammate Colin Plumb, who, according to UNBC, was tasked with guarding Kouagnia in practices.
“He was able to impact games and shift defences with his presence. He was able to break down the idea that you shouldn’t lift heavy during the season. It was fascinating to see how his game developed. Beyond being a physical force, Franco was able to work towards developing a more refined skill package.”
Kouagnia, like other alumni before him, left a legacy that UNBC Athletics says is still part of its gold standard strategy to this day.
His popularity among students-athletes, and everyday students transcended into the community based on his willingness to help make everyone a better person.
“He played big, scored big, rebounded big, and talked big. But anyone that plays with him knows he also laughed big,” explained Daniel Stark, Kouagnia’s teammate in 2013 and 2014.
“He had one of the most infectious laughs to ever echo through the T-Wolves locker room. Franco is one of those players that seem like a gift to the program and from then on, every big that follows is compared to his dominance.”
Born in Cameroon as Franck Olivier Kouagnia, he transferred from Coventry University in the United Kingdom to continue his basketball pursuits.
After his two-year stint in Prince George and writing his name in the T-Wolves’ history books, Kouagnia was recruited for professional basketball in Europe with stops in Spain, Sweden and France.
The now 31-year-old also competed in three international games in 2017 with Cameroon at the African World Cup qualifying tournament.
Kouagnia’s current records are as follows:
- First = 172 all-time T-Wolves’ men’s basketball free-throws made
- Third = 38 all-time T-Wolves’ men’s basketball blocks
- Fourth = 14.7 all-time T-Wolves’ Canada West men’s basketball points-per-game average
- Fourth = 6.9 all-time T-Wolves’ Canada West men’s basketball rebounds-per-game average
- Sixth = 613 all-time T-Wolves’ Canada West men’s basketball points
- Seventh = 290 all-time T-Wolves’ men’s basketball rebounds
- Fourth among Canada West players
“I spent a ton of time working with and playing against Franco,” said former UNBC men’s basketball assistant coach Dale Dergousoff.
“My body will never be the same. He worked hard in the gym and in the weight room, and the results showed by his second year. He became a special player because he was committed to being the best he could be. He was willing to be coached. He had the athleticism and raw ability; he just needed that coaching and time to learn the game here in Canada.”
Kouagnia is the third individual UNBC men’s basketball member selected for the T-Wolves’ Wall of Honour, joining Inderbir Gill and Jay Gladish.
The full list of inductees thus far are as follows (in order of announcements):
- Inderbir Gill (men’s basketball)
- Tofa Fakunle (men’s soccer)
- Mercedes VanKoughnett (women’s basketball)
- Sidney Roy (women’s soccer)
- Jay Gladish (men’s basketball)
- Jaclyn Nazareno (women’s basketball)
- Scott Debianchi (men’s soccer)
- 2010 Men’s Basketball Team (UNBC Athletics)
- Vasiliki Louka (women's basketball)
- Zane Robison (UNBC Athletics)
- Franco Kouagnia
There are four more inductees expected to be announced in the coming weeks by UNBC Athletics as part of the first-15 class.
