Find Your Role: Greg Surmacz’s Journey Beyond the St. Denis Centre

By: Ethan Lutz

Some decisions you wrestle with.  Some are made easily – the right thing to do.  For Greg Surmacz, leaving his professional basketball career behind in Europe to be closer family members in failing health was no choice at all.  It was automatic.  Here’s his tale.

The Journey Begins

Surmacz’s story starts far from the courts at the University of Windsor or the professional arenas in Europe. It begins in Poland, where his parents, yearning for freedom from the confines of communism, made the courageous decision to leave everything behind. The Surmacz family immigrated to Peterborough, Ontario, to pursue of a better life.

Growing up in Peterborough, Surmacz was a multi-sport athlete with a particular love for soccer. Basketball wasn’t even on his radar until much later. Surmacz excelled as a forward while playing for his dad’s soccer team and eventually on a youth team.

But his coaches had other plans for their increasingly tall and skilled player. They moved him to the net, tasking him with saving goals instead of scoring them.

“No thanks. It is not for me,” Surmacz recalls.

His lack of zeal for goalkeeping eventually steered him toward a different sport.

“One of my grade school coaches said, ‘Why don’t you come out for the basketball team?’”

That simple suggestion changed the trajectory of his life. Standing better than six feet tall in elementary school and blessed with natural athleticism, Surmacz quickly became a standout on the court.

Despite discovering basketball later than many of his peers, his raw talent and competitive drive set him apart. Having said he used to rent VHS tapes of NBA games because they did not get it on cable, so he could see how they warm up and prepare for a game.

A New Challenge

After graduating high school, Surmacz was six-foot-eight inches tall.

His ability to stretch the floor, shoot from a distance, and maintain a soft touch for a big man made him a standout recruit.

He earned multiple Division 1 offers, eventually accepting a full-ride scholarship to East Tennessee State University.

For the second time in his life, he moved to a different country—this time to Johnson City, Tennessee. There were expectations for the Canadian big man, but the transition was tougher than he anticipated.

“I had no one to guide me through the process. I had no one to turn to. So, it was like a guessing game,” he admitted.

Away from family and friends, Surmacz struggled to adjust to life as a student-athlete in a new country. The school’s focus on his on-court performance left little room for personal support.

“At the NCAA level, the coach’s job is all dependent on winning and losing,” Surmacz explained.

“So, right from the jump, I’m thrown into this rebuilding mode and this U.S. culture that I wasn’t ready for. (I had) A lot of responsibility on my shoulders, and I kind of just took it for granted… I didn’t realize what it took in terms of time management, organization—all these things. Just a young kid from Canada, loving to play basketball and have a good time.”

As the demands mounted, his love for basketball began to fade.

“That love of basketball that I had that whole time was kind of diminishing because of all the additional things that were added to it. It wasn’t just playing basketball anymore. It was so much more.”

Windsor and Redemption

After his struggles in Tennessee, Surmacz found a fresh start at the University of Windsor under Coach Chris Oliver. Oliver’s holistic approach—focusing on the person, not just the player—helped Surmacz rediscover his passion for basketball.

“Coach Oliver was able to change the culture,” Surmacz said of the transition to the Lancers.

“He brought in Kevin Kloostra before me, kept a top guard in Ryan Steer, and added these Chatham guys—hard-nosed players who knew their roles and played hard. It made my life easier, Kevin’s life easier, and Ryan’s life easier.”

Playing in Ontario also meant Surmacz had the support of his family, who could watch him play and provide encouragement.

With Oliver’s leadership and a strong team dynamic, Surmacz thrived, earning accolades such as First Team All-Canadian, OUA West MVP, and an OUA Championship.

Going Pro

After college, Surmacz faced a pivotal decision: where to start his professional career. For him, the choice was clear – Poland.

“After the successful career I had here and Coach Oliver’s help, I had a lot of offers to go to a few different places,” Surmacz said.

“But Poland had a rule where you had to have two Polish players on the court at all times. Having my Polish passport and playing in North America my whole life, it was like bringing in an import that was Polish.”

Financial considerations also factored in.

“I hate to say it, but as a young kid coming out of college with student debt, if you get two job offers and one offers significantly more money, you’re going to take it.”

Surmacz’s professional career began with its own set of challenges, echoing his struggles in Tennessee.

Thanks to the foundation laid during his time at Windsor, he felt more prepared to handle the pressures of professional basketball.

“The reality is, if you have a bad game here [university], the coach kind of picks you up, your confidence gets rebuilt. Professionally, if you have a string of bad games, it can cost you your contract,” Surmacz explained.

The pressure was even greater for Surmacz, a well-paid rookie expected to deliver immediately.

Finding Balance

While in Poland, Surmacz met Kate, his future wife.

While navigating his early career challenges, he found personal stability through their relationship. However, balancing their lives with professional commitments took work.

At one point, Windsor called again—this time, the Windsor Express. Surmacz returned to Canada to play for the Express, but Kate stayed in Poland still completing her degree in graphic design.

The long-distance arrangement was complicated, and Surmacz knew he needed to prove his commitment. He proposed, solidifying their bond.

Surmacz continued to grow both as a player and a person, crediting mentors like Express coach Bill Jones with helping him understand his role in basketball.

“He’s like, ‘Greg, what kind of player do you see yourself as? Do you want to be one of those guys who plays their role to perfection and has a 15–16-year career, or do you want to keep banging your head against the wall?’”

A New Chapter

Surmacz’s journey took him to the London Lightning, where the organization played a pivotal role in supporting his relationship with Kate.

They provided the couple with their own apartment, brought Kate on road trips, and welcomed them as part of the team family. The couple eventually had their wedding ceremony in Poland, where agents lined up to recruit the newly married baller. Surmacz proved himself again in Canada and returned to Poland to continue his career.

This time was different for Surmacz.

He returned to Europe an experienced professional who found what had been missing during his first stint in Poland. He found more professional mentorship, a support system in Poland with Kate, and he found his role as a basketball player.

Taking the advice of Windsor Express coach Bill Jones, Surmacz focused on his role on the court. Surmacz honed his rebounding, spacing, and defending.

By the time Surmacz arrived for his second stretch as a professional in Poland, he was a completely different player.

Surmacz’s second stint in Poland proved fruitful, highlighted by consistent performances.

He balanced his career with his family life, often making decisions with Kate and their new children in mind.

“Once they came into my life, my whole perspective on life changed. I’d gone from doing everything for myself to living my whole life for them,” Surmacz said of his children.

“That’s the goal when I wake up in the morning, that’s the goal when I’m closing my eyes to sleep.”

Finding a New Role

While preparing to begin his thirteenth professional season in Poland, Surmacz had to choose which role to fill. Professional basketball player or supportive son.

Surmacz’s father’s health deteriorated quickly – his mother was unable to care for him by herself.

“I did not even hesitate. I’m coming back to Poland, we are going to pack our stuff, and we’re moving back to Canada.” Surmacz said to Kate on the phone.

Kate completely understood, and the two packed up their daughters, Aliyah and Arya, and moved back to Canada.

Though not the first time moving to Canada for the couple, this move came during the COVID-19 pandemic.

After helping his father with his recovery, it was time for the Surmacz family to find a place to settle down.

With his professional career now behind him, Surmacz needed to find another new role. One that would replace the game that he played since elementary school.

Chris Cheng, current head coach at the University of Windsor, offered Surmacz the opportunity to finish his degree and give back to the program that gave so much to him in the past, this time as a coach.

“I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do and then coach just invited me. I missed being around the guys and being around the game, especially since I wasn’t ready to be done with my career yet. And then being in the locker room again and having that competitive sense, I have my blood pumping again on game day. This is what I was missing.”

Surmacz found another role running a basketball skills training program at St. Anne’s Catholic High School, a course that has grown substantially since he began running it.

He also owns a basketball training business, Pure Hoops Training, and is a motivational speaker.

Surmacz says that he hopes to bring more than just wins and championships back to the University of Windsor:

“I want them [players] to know that it wasn’t all transactional with me as a coach. I always try to build personal relationships with all my players, to build them as people and to know that I care for them just as much as a person as on the court. It’s not all about if you are an amazing basketball player. But are you a good human being? Are you a good family person? Are you going to graduate with your degree? All those things make up a person as a whole.

“I think sometimes those aspects get overlooked when it comes to coaching, and Coach Cheng is great at that. I want to be the same type of coach. I want the guys to feel like they can always reach out to me even long after our paths have diverged and about anything they want. That’s how I want to have my legacy to be known as.”

When asked about Surmacz as a coach, and a person, members of the University of Windsor Men’s Basketball Team were eager to share their thoughts on their coach:

Lorenzo Barbieri – “Over my five years here at Windsor, I can wholeheartedly say that Greg has been one of the most influential and inspiring coaches I’ve ever had. From the very first day, he’s been someone I could talk to, someone who truly understood the challenges I faced, whether it was with school, life, or basketball. Beyond being an incredible coach, Greg is an even better human being… If anyone deserves recognition and appreciation, it’s him. I’m forever grateful to have had him in my corner.”

Andrew Cook – “Greg is an outstanding coach and an extremely humble individual. In my short time working with Greg, he is easily one of my favorite coaches I have ever had, for his constant positive attitude and ability to relate with each individual player.”

Matt Aebersold – “As great as Coach Surmacz is as a coach, he is not here to just be a coach, he’s here to support and create relationships around him. This shows by his genuine commitment and passion towards not only the game of basketball but as a person as well. His enthusiasm and outgoing personality are very contagious, and as players, we are extremely grateful to be around him every day!”

Surmacz was inducted into the University of Windsor Alumni Sports Hall of Fame on November 24. This event served as an opportunity to honour the tremendous accomplishments of Lancer athletes throughout the years. It also serves as an opportunity to showcase these individuals’ outstanding lives and achievements outside of the court, field, track, or arena.

At every turn, Greg Surmacz has redefined his role—first as a young basketball player breaking into the next level, then as a leader who chose family over career, and now as a coach and mentor shaping the next generation. In guiding young athletes through basketball and life, he offers what he once needed most: a steady, compassionate voice both on and off the court. By embracing his evolving roles with heart and dedication, Surmacz proves that true fulfillment lies in playing your part well, whether as a player, a mentor, or a family man.