For many in Canada, Brad Gushue is curling. He represents their connection to the game and has provided a lifetime of memorable moments throughout his illustrious career.
Now, after three decades of greatness on the ice, he’s taking his talents south. On Wednesday, Gushue was named high-performance director for USA Curling.
“I am Canadian, I will always be Canadian and I’m a proud Canadian. But a job like this wasn’t available in our country and the folks at USA Curling have been great to deal with. I felt really comfortable with the relationship we developed,” Gushue said in an exclusive interview with CBC Sports.
Gushue, 45, retired from the sport two months ago, stepping off the ice for the final time in an emotional farewell at a Brier in his hometown of St. John’s, Nfld.
Before accepting this position, he had a number of conversations with people he respects in the sport, including former Curling Canada high performance director Gerry Peckham.
“Anybody who knows me knows I research things and do my due diligence on any decision that I make. Every person I talked to thought the role was perfectly suited for me, including Gerry Peckham who filled this role for 33 years at Curling Canada,” Gushue said. “He thought I’d enjoy it quite a bit. He’s been a guy I’ve reached out to for a lot of things in my career. When he said that, it helped make my decision.”
In a heartbreaking playoff match, Brad Gushue’s gold medal dreams for his final Brier competition in front of a hometown crowd were crushed by Team Canada, marking the end of an era. Praise for Gushue and his storied career poured in from his fans — and his competition — who said the legacy he created in his career will continue far beyond this weekend’s performance. The CBC’s Leila Beaudoin reports.
Gushue said its a role that allows him to stay involved in curling while also leaning on his business background. Curling has been a massive part of his life and as he transitioned away from playing the game, the thought of leaving it entirely behind was something he was not prepared to do.
“I wasn’t quite ready to make that jump out of curling. That really scared me more than I was willing to take on,” he said. “This allows me to stay in the curling world, which is a place I’ve been quite comfortable with for the last 30 years of my career.
“A job of this level in our sport, where you’re running a program, is few and far between. To get this opportunity, I’m excited about it and looking forward to it.”
Gushue acknowledges that a move to the U.S. at a politically charged time between the two countries might leave some disappointed.
“Obviously there was some concern about the geo-political tension. At this point this is not a political decision,” he said. “This is a job that I’m really well-suited for and I look forward to being part of. That’s really what it came down to.”
The U.S. position was first posted at the beginning of January, and Gushue said it took some time for him to warm up to the idea. But after conversations with USA Curling CEO Dean Gemmell, Gushue started to seriously consider the role.
“When Dean reached out to me, my first thought was this was probably not the right fit. But when I started looking at the role and talking to Dean I thought more and more this was the right fit,” Gushue said. “The relationship with Dean and the team there, it feels really natural.
“And then when I looked at the role, my expertise not just on the ice but it also allowed me to use my MBA and managing a full program and the skill and knowledge I’ve developed over the last 30 years in my curling career, it just seemed more and more like a natural fit for me when I thought about it.”
Gemmell said Gushue is perfectly suited for the role as they work towards the next Olympics.
“I always appreciated Brad’s attention to detail, his focus, and his curiosity about the game. He has also juggled his on-ice career with business interests off the ice, and that management ability will be important in this role.” he said. “We saw during the Cortina Games what solid international performances can do for the growth of the game in the United States, and I’m confident Brad’s leadership will build fresh momentum.”
In a statement sent to CBC Sports, Curling Canada’s CEO Nolan Thiessen wished Gushue “the very best” in his new endeavour.
“Brad has been an iconic Canadian curler who has worn the Maple Leaf with class and distinction over the years and provided some of the most iconic moments in the history of our sport,” Thiessen said.
Gushue’s resume includes a record six Brier wins, Olympic gold and silver medals, a world championship and 15 Grand Slam of Curling titles. He says if he can translate that success to U.S. curlers, it will be good for the game.
“Obviously a country the size of the U.S., the exciting part is if we can build a program that’s strong, the higher profile the sport is in the United States, the better it is for the sport overall,” he said.
Gushue is making his first trip south in this new role next week to take part in an emerging talent showcase. He’s familiar with many of the national team members but admits he has work ahead of him to find the next stars of the game who will wear the stars and stripes.
“That will be a learning curve for me over the next number of months,” he said. “A role like this is hard to measure in a really short time. I think if you’re going to do this job really well you have to look at success in the six, eight, 10-year span.”
When asked what that first encounter between Canada versus the USA will be like in his new role, Gushue didn’t hesitate.
“Awkward is the only way I can describe it. I am still Canadian but obviously want to see success in the US program. It’ll be awkward the first time.”
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