MLSE’s Dave Haggith enshrined in the KCSS Case of Distinction

September 24, 2025 · 0 Comments

Dave Haggith was inducted into the King City Secondary School Case of Distinction. He’s joined by Mike “Pinball” Clemons and his family celebrating this honour.

By Jim Stewart

Dave Haggith, Senior Vice President of Communications at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, was inducted into the King City Secondary School Case of Distinction on Saturday morning. He was the 73rd distinguished KCSS grad to be honored.
Mike “Pinball” Clemons exuded warmth and charisma during his engaging introduction of Haggith. Clemons described his long-time MLSE colleague as “an accomplished man, Argos fan, and friend. He’s organized some of the biggest events, and worked with so many of the greats – Ali, Nicklaus, Gretzky, Michael Jordan, Vince Carter.”
Haggith’s connection to Carter was a significant milestone in his career. After earning MLSE’s first “Employee of the Year” honors in 1998 for his media and community relations work with the Raptors in the franchise’s first five years of operation, Haggith left the Raptors to manage Carter’s media, charitable, and endorsement interests.
After two seasons overseeing communications with the Toronto Argonauts, Haggith joined IMG which was the world’s largest sports and entertainment management agency at the time. The KCSS graduate returned to MLSE in 2013 to lead the company’s communications and public relations strategy during an eight-year period during which the Toronto Raptors, Toronto FC, and the Toronto Argonauts won a combined six league championships. In 2020, Haggith earned MLSE’s “Coach of the Year” award in recognition of his superlative organizational leadership – a golden era in Argos history with four CFL titles since 2012. Clemons spoke glowingly about this connection with Haggith: “He was such a big football fan that he named his dog Argo. Dave inspired Argos fans and I am so inspired by him.”
Clemons, the General Manager of the Argonauts since 2019, moved seamlessly from football to the Bible in an effective allusion to the choices made by The Good Samaritan: “Martin Luther King noted that the Good Samaritan was faced with a dilemma. ‘What will happen to me if I stop and help? Doctor King talked about the dangerous areas that the Good Samaritan was travelling, but he raised the bigger question: ‘If I don’t stop, what will happen to him?’ That question has been consistent with how Dave has operated in life. He’s made choices involving love and power. Love always says ‘You before me.” That’s what Dave does. My friend, that’s you.”
Clemons’s soaring and poignant words struck a chord with his Saturday morning audience and he hugged his colleague before Haggith took his place on stage in the mezzanine of his old high school. Haggith thanked Clemons with whom he’s worked for 28 years. The honoree was overcome by emotion by Clemons’s kind words, but slipped into role and elicited much laughter when he noted “I’m thrilled to be back at the school that made me and I’ve tried to photoshop out my graduation photo that’s on display in the hallway.” He acknowledged that “I wasn’t the greatest student in high school, but I was inspired here. This is my chance to say thank you to my teachers and football coaches who dedicated their lives so we could be the best we could be.”
Haggith became choked with emotion when he referred to his recently-deceased mother and acknowledged that “she was so filled with joy when I told her about the upcoming induction ceremony. My mom passed away a few months ago. She encouraged me to explore the Humber PR program after spinning my wheels at Brock.”
In addition to thanking his parents for their timely guidance and support, Haggith emphasized the role of King City football coach Ed Serjeantson He referenced a letter he wrote to Serjeantson’s family as a tribute to “Sarge” after the beloved coach passed away: “Sarge was the coach who encouraged me in my first year of playing football, when I was thrown into a Defensive Back role due to a teammate’s injury. The following season, Sarge made me one of the defensive team captains and nicknamed me The Killer Smurf.”
Haggith’s allusion to blue cartoon characters evoked much laughter and he continued reading from his powerful tribute to the KCSS teacher-coach: “I played harder for him due to his belief in me. Much of my life and its success is due to Sarge and how many lives he touched.”
The appreciative Haggith segued deftly from his letter to Sarge’s family to kudos for the KCSS community: “That’s one story and there are tens of thousands of these stories that have taken place at King City Secondary School.”
Haggith expressed his appreciation for the opportunities of “managing Vince Carter from his draft to his induction in the Naismith Hall of Fame” and “for winning the Grey Cup twice.” The current Aurora resident thanked his wife, Koriena, and sons, Christian and Luke: “I love you guys so much.” The former King City Secondary School football player reminded all about the success of the program and how much it meant to him: “We won the York Region football championship every year I was here.”
After his triumphant closing remarks, Haggith joined attendees at a reception at Hogan’s in The Hunt Pub where all enjoyed the hospitality of the classic setting at King Road and Keele.