Basketball Manitoba is deeply saddened by the passing of Jeff Laping, a cherished coach, educator, mentor and friend whose influence reached across generations of Manitoba’s basketball community.
Jeff’s connection to basketball was about far more than the games he coached or the championships he won. He cared deeply about the young people entrusted to him, the coaches who worked alongside him and the community surrounding the sport. He led with integrity, humility and compassion, consistently demonstrating how basketball can be used to teach, connect and positively shape lives.
A graduate of St. Paul’s High School’s Class of 1989, Jeff returned to the school as a student teacher in 1995 and began teaching English Language Arts there in January 1999. He became a central figure within the St. Paul’s community, serving as an educator, coach, Vice-Principal and, most recently, as Principal.
Jeff was involved with the St. Paul’s basketball program for more than three decades. After coaching the junior varsity boys for three seasons, he became head coach of the varsity boys in 2000. Under his leadership, the Crusaders captured five conference championships and four provincial championships, and made 12 provincial Final Four appearances. Twenty-five of his players went on to compete at the Canadian collegiate or U SPORTS level and many to the professional level.
Those accomplishments tell only part of Jeff’s story. His greatest impact can be found in the countless students and athletes who became better people because he believed in them, challenged them and cared for them. He understood that coaching was ultimately about relationships, character and helping young people discover what they were capable of becoming.
In a Basketball Manitoba podcast interview recorded last year, Jeff reflected on what mattered most to him after nearly three decades of coaching.
“To me, the biggest part of coaching is the relationships,” he said. “I think I’ve always tried to be just Jeff. I haven’t tried to be somebody else.”
Those words capture Jeff to a T. He was genuine, approachable and completely himself. He treasured the relationships created through basketball and understood the importance of encouraging the next generation. Jeff spoke warmly about the coaches who supported him when he was starting out and hoped that younger coaches might one day remember him as someone who helped them along their own journeys—or simply offered a reassuring pat on the back when they needed one.
Jeff also believed that coaching was a way to give back. It was a lesson passed to him by his father, Nick, a former high school coach, and one Jeff carried throughout his life. He gave back generously—not only through the teams he coached, but through the time, guidance, friendship and sense of belonging he offered to people throughout Manitoba basketball.
The strength of those relationships could be seen in the former Crusaders who continued returning to the St. Paul’s gym years after graduating. Jeff took great pride in keeping generations of players connected with one another and with the program. For him, they never stopped being part of the team.
Jeff’s contributions extended throughout the Manitoba basketball community. Beginning in 2002, he served Basketball Manitoba in numerous capacities, including as an assistant coach with the 17U male provincial team, head coach of the 16U male provincial team and manager of Manitoba’s 2005 and 2009 male Canada Games teams.
He also coached within Canada Basketball’s Centre for Performance, served as an assistant coach with the University of Manitoba Bisons and contributed extensively to the Manitoba Basketball Coaches Association. Jeff served as president of the coaches association until 2013 and was a trusted advocate for the development, education and recognition of coaches across the province.
For more than 15 years, Jeff was Manitoba’s most active National Coaching Certification Program Learning Facilitator. He led dozens of NCCP coaching clinics and helped educate, prepare and encourage hundreds of up-and-coming coaches. His knowledge was extensive, but it was his welcoming and authentic approach that made him such an effective mentor. Jeff did not simply teach people how to coach basketball; he helped them understand the responsibility and opportunity that come with being a coach.
For more than a decade, Jeff also played a leading role in organizing, hosting and emceeing the Manitoba Basketball Coaches Association Graduating All-Star Game and Banquet, now known as the Basketball Manitoba Awards. His steady presence, warmth and humour helped make the annual celebration a memorable occasion for graduating student-athletes, coaches, families and members of the basketball community.
Jeff’s love of coaching was also closely connected to his family. Along with his many school, provincial, and high-performance roles, he coached his children at the Winnipeg Minor Basketball Association and club basketball levels. These experiences gave him another opportunity to share the game he loved while spending meaningful time with those closest to him.
His many honours included being named the Manitoba AAAA Boys Coach of the Year in 2009 and 2014 and receiving the Peter Dyck Award for Coaching Excellence in 2010. While these awards reflected his outstanding ability as a coach, Jeff’s true legacy will remain the lasting influence he had on his players, students, colleagues and fellow coaches.
Jeff often reminded his players that basketball is “an easy game” and encouraged them not simply to run the play, but to make a play. It was a basketball lesson, but it also reflected the trust he placed in young people: teach them, prepare them, believe in them and then give them the confidence to make their own decisions.
Jeff represented the very best of Manitoba basketball. He was knowledgeable, thoughtful, generous and deeply committed to serving others. His leadership made our sport stronger, his friendship made our community better, and his example will continue to guide those fortunate enough to have known him.
Basketball Manitoba extends its heartfelt condolences to Jeff’s wife, Leigh Ann; their three children; his mom Bev; his siblings, Susie, Mike and Nicole; and his extended family. We also share our deepest sympathies with the entire St. Paul’s High School community and the many students, athletes, coaches, colleagues and friends mourning this profound loss.
Jeff will be deeply missed and always remembered. His legacy lives on through the people he taught, the athletes he coached, the coaches he mentored, the colleagues he supported and the relationships he valued above all else.
Rest in peace, Jeff.