Imagine a top-tier coach switching sports entirely - not just levels or leagues, but a complete pivot from one game to another.

Seems impossible, right?

Meet Chris King.

Now leading the Lloydminster Lancers, a U18 AAA team in the Alberta Elite Hockey League, King is in his first season behind the bench, despite having no previous hockey coaching experience.

Yet King isn’t just any coach. He’s one of Canada’s most successful women’s basketball coaches, and he’s now rewriting the playbook on what a coaching career can look like.

It feels like the script of a Hollywood sports movie - or TV show.

Ever since Ted Lasso premiered on Apple TV in August 2020, fans have been enamored with the fictitious show, specifically the lead character played by Jason Sudeikis. For those unfamiliar with Lasso, the American coaches football for the Wichita State Shockers before being hired to coach professional soccer for A.F.C. Richmond. The show, composed of three seasons with a fourth currently in production, follows Lasso as he adjusts to life in the premier league, and life in London, England. It’s arguably the best sports show ever created.

Lasso himself is a perfect blend of warmth, optimism, and authenticity, who coaches with empathy, is a great listener, embraces vulnerability, uses humour to connect, and truly believes in his players and team.

That’s how King, former Coach of the Lakeland College Rustlers, has been described by former players. He coached, like Lasso, for 17 seasons with Lakeland, and was named the 2024 CCAA Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year after the Rustlers defeated the Lambton College Lions 64-55 to cap off an undefeated season with the national title win in March of 2024.

Then, in December of 2024, King was fired. 

In April of 2025, Derek Jory, Director of Content with The Coaches Site, received an Instagram DM from King. The 42-year-old explained he was a two-time CCAA Coach of the Year and six-time ACAC Coach of the Year with the Rustlers, but that he had recently agreed to coach the Lloydminster Lancers and was keen to document the journey of changing from basketball to hockey.

Like you, Jory was filled with questions galore. Why was King changing to hockey? Has he coached hockey before? Did he play hockey himself? But ultimately, why was he fired?

Welcome to Shift Change, presented by The Coaches Site. This 10-part documentary series, created by King, Jory and Kim Capiral (Owner & Creative Director of Narra Studios), follows the U18 AAA Lancers as they work to rebuild a winning culture and reclaim their competitive edge. With a fresh season and a new coach behind the bench, the series captures the grit, growth, and resilience of a group of young hockey players determined to rise. Stepping into an unfamiliar sport, King brings a fresh perspective, challenging the team to embrace discipline, leadership, and a high-performance mindset as they chase their potential, on and off the ice.

Ted Lasso isn’t real. Chris King is. Shift Change is unreal.

All 10 episodes of Shift Change will be available exclusively on The Coaches Site. Sign up for a free membership today and don’t miss out on episodes 1 & 2 coming Tuesday, November 25.

Drop a comment below if you're excited to watch!