Although Paul Armstrong may seem like any other staff member, he is a proud Raven
who has been a part of the Carleton University community for 46 years.
After announcing his retirement from the department of athletics, the Charlatan took a look at his time as a student, varsity athlete, basketball coach, and staff member.
Deciding to come to Carleton in the 1970s was easy for Armstrong thanks to his strong
connection to sports.
At the time, the athletics department was full of familiar faces, including former high school basketball, volleyball, football, and track coaches as well as two of Armstrong’s idols, Drew and Jonathan Love.
When the opportunity came to try out for the Ravens men’s basketball team in 1973, the freshman ended up following in the footsteps of his idols and eventual co-workers.
He donned the number 31 jersey as a forward, eventually co-captaining the side, and it only took a matter of time until fans were shouting his name.
Reflecting on his time as a Ravens basketball player, Armstrong vividly recalls how the audience would respond to his presence while on the court.
“I was known for two things, one was my afro. I had this big haircut,” said Armstrong.
“The other thing was my game. I liked to go hard to the basket, and I had good jumping ability, so I used that to my advantage.”
After graduating in 1981, he explains his transition into coaching was somewhat unexpected. The assistant director at the time, Gail Blake, approached Armstrong with the opportunity to take over the women’s team part-time from 1981 to 1983.
After that, he replaced Gene Chatterton as coach of the men’s team and led them to the 1987 Ontario University Athletics Eastern (OUA) division title and onto the National Championships in Halifax.
Besides winning titles, Armstrong also had an impact on the players by building invaluable relationships on and off the court. His efforts were recognized by the OUA where he was honoured with the Basketball Coach of the Year award in 1983 and in 1999.
“[What] I wanted to do was make sure that when they left they had a really positive experience,” said Armstrong.
“This was a journey together, a real team effort from the coaches to the trainers all the way down to the managers and the players themselves, and I really wanted them to come back as proud alumnis.”
During his time as a coach, Armstrong also made a big contribution towards creating
Carleton University’s Basketball Alumni Association (CURBAA). The group has since made successful strides in re-involving alumni into Ravens basketball.
Throughout the years Armstrong has greatly contributed to the foundation of Carleton’s basketball teams. However, he credits Dave Smart as the true individual who helped make Carleton’s varsity basketball a success.
“[He] was integral in me deciding to step down,” explained Armstrong. “I knew [with] Dave taking over he was going to do well … the opportunities to keep promoting Carleton, especially financially because success breeds success to stay ahead of the competition.”
It was exactly that relationship that gave Armstrong the push to pursue a new challenge–working as a communications and community relations officer from 1999 to 2008.
The transition, though bittersweet, was a good one that lasted for eight years. It also ended up leading him to a new position focused around fundraising, community outreach, and alumni connection.
His former childhood idol, Love, approached Armstrong, offering the new senior development officer role. He graciously accepted.
Over the years, Armstrong introduced countless fundraisers that would help the basketball program including Major Gifts donations, the Gail Nicholls Challenge for women’s basketball, and the new Faculty of Science Graduate Students’ Basketball Analytics Internships.
The impact they have made on Carleton’s sports teams has been invaluable for staff and players alike.
“It’s a wonderful result of seeing a donor’s dreams come through in wishes they want, and happiness to mesh with what the university wants,” said Armstrong.
Out of all the campaigns, spearheading the Dunsmore Challenge with Carleton alumnus David Dunsmore was a highlight of his career.
The philanthropic initiative has been running for the past five years and aims to offset the costs associated with elite varsity men’s basketball.
“He’s just fallen in love with our men’s basketball program and loves the guys,” shared Armstrong.
“I have not only had the satisfaction of seeing the players but the donors [benefit from his generosities].”
While Armstrong is in charge of manning the desk and maintaining relationships in the community, he highlights his appreciation and gratitude towards all the donors throughout the years.
Throughout his career, he has enjoyed the opportunity to mentor others and mentions the key people who mentored and shaped his career into what it is today.
Those include the late Pat O’Brien, as well as Drew Love, Keith Harris, Jennifer Brenning, Gail Blake, Jennifer Conley and John Ruddy, a leading donor in the varsity community who “impacted the whole university.”
But now as the clock winds down and the buzzer sounds on Armstrong’s career, he’s ready for something new to start.
“I’ve been here full-time for 34 years,” said Armstrong. “That is a good run … I’m looking forward to spending more time with my family, my kids, even though they are now grown up,and spending time with my mother.”
Out of all the memorable moments at Carleton, the one that holds a special place in his memory is watching the men’s and women’s basketball national champions on television.
These experiences made everything come full circle for him and the history was, and still is, something exciting to celebrate.
While those memories will stay with him after leaving Carleton, the aspects Armstrong says he will especially miss are the day-to-day tasks and the chances he had to meet the student varsity athletes.
When asked if he will still be around to attend games and mingle amongst the Carleton community, Armstrong said with a warm smile, “Absolutely! I am a Raven for life!”
Feature image provided.
