London, ON - The 2026 edition of the Mustangs Coaches Appreciation ceremony honoured a pair of longtime coaches who have made profound impacts on the respective teams.

Mike Lumley was named this years recipient of the Jack Fairs Coaching Award of Merit. The annual award recognizes excellence amongst head coaches at Western.



Lumley is retiring after more than 25 years at the helm of the Mustangs Baseball program. He's coached championship teams, mentored hundreds of student-athletes, and helped shape a culture rooted in hard work and genuine connection. He's built the program on a foundation where each principle strengthens the others, creating a team identity that extends far beyond the diamond.

"This is an incredible honour as I know the type of legendary status Jack has at Western and to be joining that list of coaches to receive this award before me is humbling," said Lumley "I have loved my time at Western and I am so excited to see what the future of the program has in store as Tyler (D'Alessandro) takes over as the next head coach,"



The Fran Wigston Eberhard Assistant Coach of the Year recipient this year is the late Mike Tomlinson. The Men's Golf Assistant Coach was involved with the program for 27 years and was ]always a calm and compassionate leader. Tomlinson passed away in January of 2026 and the award was accepted by members of his family. 

"The Tomlinson and Ancans families would like to thank you for honouring our Father and Papa with this special assistant coaching award. It would have meant so much to him. Coaching golf at Western.  University of Western Ontario allowed our father to do two of the things he loved most: volunteering his time at his beloved University and being involved in the game of golf. Being a coach for 27 years brought our father so much fulfillment. Our father loved interacting with the team and working closely with individual players. He admired their dedication, watched proudly as they improved through hard work and practice and truly enjoyed travelling to tournaments and competitions at other universities. Winning multiple championships was also his pride and joy.  He had many hats and articles of clothing that he wore to show off their triumphs. This assistant coaching award means the world to our families and we will cherish it forever. We will miss seeing our father's permanent smile as he talked about his love of volunteering at Western."