With the 2021-22 school year – and season – coming up quickly, College of Saint Benedict basketball head coach Mike Durbin added some depth and experience to his coaching staff.
This week, Durbin officially announced the addition of Rick Canton as the team’s assistant coach. Canton joins the Bennie basketball coaching staff with both an impressive coaching resume and an inside knowledge of the program as his daughters Laura Canton ’11 and Whitney Canton ’13 both played basketball for Durbin at CSB.
Most recently, Canton – who has more than 40 years of coaching experience – spent seven seasons as an assistant coach with the St. Thomas women’s basketball team where he helped guide the Tommies to five NCAA tournament berths, including two NCAA Championship appearances in 2018-19 and 2016-17.
Prior to his time at UST, Canton was the head boys’ and girls’ basketball coach at Pine Island High School. He won 353 games, led Pine Island to its first-ever state tournament appearance in 2013, won six HVL Conference titles and was named the section coach of the year in 2012.
Before taking over at Pine Island, Canton spent time as an assistant men’s basketball coach at Augsburg was the assistant boys’ basketball coach at both Bethlehem Academy in Faribault and Delano High School.
Canton played collegiate basketball at both Augsburg and Luther. He graduated with a degree in physical education and coaching from Luther, and later obtained his Master’s degree in Sports Administration from Mankato State.
Whitney Canton earned All-MIAC First Team honors for CSB in 2012 and 2013, and Laura earned All-MIAC Honorable Mention in 2010. Rick Canton and his wife, Linda, also have a grown son, Nick.
Canton joins CSB basketball coaching staff
