Fort McMurray Giants name coaching staff

The Western Canadian Baseball League’s Fort McMurray Giants have announced their 2025 coaching staff. Photo: Fort McMurray Giants

February 28, 2025

By Ian Wilson

Western Canadian Baseball League

The Fort McMurray Giants are bringing back Ray Brown as their head coach for the 2025 season.

The Western Canadian Baseball League's northernmost team made the announcement, along with the unveiling of the rest of their coaching staff, on Feb. 28.

"We are beyond excited to have coach Ray Brown come back to the Giants for a third summer," said Andrew Bradbury, the coordinator of scouting and recruiting for the team.

"Ray brings with him more than a resume that is truly never ending. Ray is a world-traveled coach who is very highly respected on multiple continents. He’s a former professional pitcher and associate scout. He’s made a major impact on the baseball landscape in Alberta. Ray continues to be dedicated to the game, and helping young ball players develop into the best players they can be."

Brown's overall record in his previous two seasons with the Giants was 55 wins and 57 losses. He guided the club to a .500 record in 2019 and followed that up with the team's first playoff appearance in 2022.

During that 2022 season, the Giants had the third best earned run average (3.99 ERA) in the league. The pitching staff's 432 strikeouts set a franchise record.

"Ray also brings unmatched passion, work ethic, and the grittiness to the game that we so much value our teams play with here in Fort McMurray," said Bradbury.

"The Giants organization believes that the man that led us to our first playoff appearance in 2022 will lead us to another playoff run in 2025. We can’t wait to get this summer rolling."

Brown recently worked as a pitching coach for the Edmonton Riverhawks in the West Coast League. Prior to his time in Fort McMurray, he was the head coach of the Edmonton Prospects in the Western Major Baseball League (WMBL), the predecessor of the WCBL. Brown held that post from 2014 through 2018.

PITCHING COACH

Joining Brown is pitching coach Nik Cardinal, who played four summers for the Giants between 2016 and 2019.

"Not only did Nik give the Giants a chance to win each time he toed the rubber, he filled in at any role that was asked, and could be relied on in any situation," noted Bradbury.

"Nik is exactly the type of player we look to bring to Fort McMurray every summer. We really look forward to seeing him pass along his pitching knowledge to our 2025 team and instilling in them his bulldog mentality on the mound."

Cardinal logged 165 innings as a pitcher with the Giants and his 127 career strikeouts are tops in franchise history.

He is in his third season as the pitching coach at Allan Hancock College.

ASSISTANT COACHES

Tanner Hess is returning to Legacy Dodge Field after patrolling the infield for the Giants in 2019.

"Incredibly excited to have Tanner in the Giants dugout for the second time, this time as one of our assistant coaches," said Bradbury.

"We look forward to Tanner passing on his skills, and hardworking, never-give-up style to the 2025 Giants players."

Hess was a WCBL All-Star selection for Fort McMurray in 2019, when he set a single-season team record for hits, with 63. He also played every infield position for the Giants that year.

Hess had a strong Canadian College Baseball Conference (CCBC) playing career with Vancouver Island University (VIU), where he is now an assistant coach.

Rounding out the staff for the Giants is Dylan Cooper, who worked the last two years in the Cape Cod League as the first base coach of the Brewster Whitecaps.

"After spending the past two summers in the Cape Cod League we are thrilled to have Dylan’s experience, expertise, and coaching knowledge in our dugout this summer," said Bradbury.

"We know Dylan is going to be a perfect addition to the team this summer, as we get ready for a summer to remember down at Legacy Dodge Field."

Cooper is also an assistant coach/ recruiting coordinator at West Virginia Wesleyan College, a Division 2 program. He was named the Coach of the Year in the Metro Summer Collegiate League in 2022.

The Giants will open their season at home on Friday, May 30 when the Sylvan Lake Gulls visit Fort McMurray.