Exilus, Terroba Named Head Coaches For CEBL Clash

2023 CEBL Final coaches from Scarborough and Calgary lead East-West teams in Québec City

The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Tuesday that Chris Exilus of the 2023 CEBL Champion Scarborough Shooting Stars and Nelson Terroba of the Western Conference Champion Calgary Surge have been named head coaches for the East and West teams, respectively, for the CEBL Clash. The Clash is a showcase game featuring 20 players from around the league scheduled for Saturday, August 26 at 2 p.m. at Videotron Centre in Québec City.

Exilus led Scarborough to an 11-9 regular season record in 2023 with a perfect 4-0 run in the playoffs, capped by the team’s first CEBL championship. In two seasons with Exilus at the helm, the Shooting Stars have gone 23-17 with a 6-1 record in the playoffs and two appearances in the CEBL Final.

The Scarborough, Ontario native is currently the Athletic Director at Royal Crown Academic School. Exilus, who played at DePaul University, also has extensive experience as a player, educator, and coach, including tutoring numerous NBA players in those areas such as Brandon Jennings, Stanley Johnson, Jordan Clarkson, and Kelly Olynyk.

Terroba led the Calgary Surge to a 12-8 record, first place in the CEBL’s Western Conference and a berth in the CEBL Final in the team’s inaugural season. The Texas native is the current Associate Head Coach for the Texas Legends of the NBA G League (affiliate of the Dallas Mavericks), qualifying for the playoffs as the fifth seed in the 2021-22 season. He also served as Interim Head Coach in Round 1 of the NBA G League Playoffs, leading the Legends to their first playoff win in team history against the Birmingham Squadron.

Terroba’s experience also includes a stint as Lead Assistant Coach with the CEBL’s Saskatchewan Rattlers in 2020, and two years as General Manager and Head Coach for the Saint John Riptide of the National Basketball League of Canada. In his two seasons with the Riptide, he led the team to consecutive playoff berths, and first and second place finishes in the league’s overall defensive rankings.

The CEBL Clash features 10 players from Western Conference teams and 10 from Eastern Conference teams bringing Canada’s national pro basketball league to Quebec City for the first time. The teams will include some of the best talent the league has to offer, including NBA alumni, members of the Canadian Senior Men’s National Team, NBA G Leaguers, players from top European pro leagues, and CEBL stars.

Tickets for the Clash are available HERE. In addition to the live TSN broadcast, the game will also be available to stream on TSN+ and free on CEBL+ Powered by BetVictor.

A league created by Canadians for Canadians with a mission to develop Canadian players, coaches, sports executives, and referees, the CEBL boasts the highest percentage of Canadian players of any pro league in the country with 73 percent of its 2023 rosters being Canadian. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. Nine players have moved from the CEBL into the NBA following a CEBL season, and 28 CEBL players attended NBA G League training camps during October. The CEBL season runs from May through August. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.