Canadian curling great Brad Gushue is taking his talents across the border.
The record six-time Brier champion was named high-performance director of USA Curling on Wednesday, the organization announced.
In an interview with CBC Sports, Gushue said it was an opportunity he couldn't turn down despite geopolitical tensions.
“I am Canadian, I will always be Canadian and I’m a proud Canadian. But a job like this wasn’t available in our country and the folks at USA Curling have been great to deal with. I felt really comfortable with the relationship we developed,” Gushue said.
Gushue, 45, retired from the game in March after an illustrious career that included 23 Brier appearances and six titles, a world championship title in 2017 and 15 Grand Slam titles. Gushue added two Olympic appearances, winning gold in 2006 and bronze in 2022.
“I wasn’t quite ready to make that jump out of curling," Gushue told CBC Sports. “This allows me to stay in the curling world, which is a place I’ve been quite comfortable with for the last 30 years of my career.
"A job of this level in our sport, where you’re running a program, is few and far between. To get this opportunity, I’m excited about it and looking forward to it.”
Headquarters for U.S. Curling's high performance program are located at Viking Lake Campus in Eagan, Minn.
USA Curling CEO Dean Gemmell lauded Gushue's all-around fit.
"Brad’s competitive resume and knowledge of the game are well-known, but he brings other qualities and skills that are essential in this position,” Gemmell said in a statement. “He has extensive experience as a manager of business operations and as a leader of teams both on and off the ice. We are thrilled to welcome him as we work to achieve the kind of international success that builds the sport at every level.”
