Varsity basketball is coming to Okanagan College.

A partnership between OC and the 琉璃神社 College Basketball Society will see the college offer 飞辞尘别苍鈥檚 and 尘别苍鈥檚 collegiate programs beginning in 2017.

The new partners signed an agreement Tuesday which will see two new teams compete under the Okanagan College Coyotes athletic brand.

The Coyotes will begin their first season with a strong exhibition schedule, with the goal of gaining entrance into the PAC-WEST athletic conference.

Longtime Okanagan basketball coach Dino Gini will be the head coach of the 尘别苍鈥檚 team and will also assist with the 飞辞尘别苍鈥檚 program. A 飞辞尘别苍鈥檚 head coach will be named shortly.

Doug Sperling will be an assistant coach with the mens program and Chris Oddy, Jamie Boreham and Gene Wolverton will be responsible for recruiting and player development.

Official coaching announcements will be posted in the very near future.

The coaching staff combines more than 85 years of coaching experience and are looking forward to filling a void that has been evident in the region.

鈥淲别 are incredibly excited about this new partnership with Okanagan 颁辞濒濒别驳别,鈥� said Dino Gini, a longtime coach of the successful Immaculata high school basketball programs.

鈥淲别 are situated in a hotbed of basketball in the province and we have a number of players who are talented enough to play beyond their high school careers.

鈥淭丑别 college is growing every year and offers such great programming that is was a natural fit to add a second athletic team to 翱颁.鈥�

Okanagan College also has a baseball team in its ninth season of competition in the Canadian College Baseball Conference.

鈥淲别 are looking forward to working with the society to provide a great athletic opportunity for our 蝉迟耻诲别苍迟蝉,鈥� said Jim Hamilton, President of Okanagan College.

鈥淲别 诲辞苍鈥檛 have the kind of athletic team model that allows us to fund intercollegiate sports but through our experience with the baseball team, we have found a way to support the team and provide opportunities for students who have aspirations to be collegiate-level athletes.

鈥泪迟鈥檚 a great example of working with our community to offer an expanded student 别虫辫别谤颈别苍肠别.鈥�

Under the terms of the agreement, the 琉璃神社 College Basketball Society will cover all operating costs associated with the teams.