Canadian curling great Brad Gushue named high-performance director for U.S. team

For many in Canada, Brad Gushue is curling. He represents their connection to the game and has provided a lifetime of memorable moments throughout his illustrious career. 

Now, after three decades of greatness on the ice, he’s taking his talents south. On Wednesday, Gushue was named high-performance director for USA Curling. 

“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 in an exclusive interview with CBC Sports.

Gushue, 45, retired from the sport two months ago, stepping off the ice for the final time in an emotional farewell at a Brier in his hometown of St. John's, Nfld.

Before accepting this position, he had a number of conversations with people he respects in the sport, including former Curling Canada high performance director Gerry Peckham.

“Anybody who knows me knows I research things and do my due diligence on any decision that I make. Every person I talked to thought the role was perfectly suited for me, including Gerry Peckham who filled this role for 33 years at Curling Canada,” Gushue said. “He thought I’d enjoy it quite a bit. He’s been a guy I’ve reached out to for a lot of things in my career. When he said that, it helped make my decision.”

Brad Gushue plays final game of storied curling career

Gushue said its a role that allows him to stay involved in curling while also leaning on his business background. Curling has been a massive part of his life and as he transitioned away from playing the game, the thought of leaving it entirely behind was something he was not prepared to do. 

“I wasn’t quite