Rich Goulet devoted 50 years of his life to basketball in British Columbia. He spent nearly 40 of those years at Pitt Meadows Secondary School. There, Coach Goulet built one of the most admired and successful high school basketball programs in the country. 

Through the years, Coach Goulet left an indelible mark on the lives of thousands of young athletes and hundreds of coaches. The heartfelt outpouring of admiration, love, and respect for Coach following his passing on Sunday, March 28th, 2021 are a testament to his positive, lasting influence on so many. 

When you played for him, his desire was clear: individually as players and together as a team, he pushed you to achieve your full potential. But to measure Coach only by his success on the court would miss the point. Yes, it’s true that if you were fortunate enough to play for him, you probably left his program the best basketball player you could be. In fact, in many cases, you probably left even better than you ought to have been. But more importantly, you definitely left his program as part of a community, with a work ethic and sense of dedication that prepared you for the rest of your life. That is the true measure of Coach. His impact on our lives extends far beyond the gym, and long after our final playing days. 

This petition calls for the gym at PMSS to be renamed for Coach Goulet. We’d probably ask for more, he easily earned it, but he wouldn’t have wanted a grander gesture; he was too humble for that. 

So, as his former players, fellow coaches and dear friends, we ask that you consider our petition to rename the gym in honour of the greatest coach to ever pace its sidelines, preserving the legacy of excellence, selflessness and dedication synonymous with the name Goulet.