NLSE returns as U.S. Home For CEBL in 2025

The Vancouver Bandits, BC’s professional basketball team, have finalized its basketball staff in advance of the 2025 Canadian Elite Basketball League season. Led by reigning CEBL Coach of the Year, Kyle Julius, a combination of familiar and new faces will comprise the group that will lead the club into its seventh season tipping off on May 15. Julius enters his sixth season with the Bandits, having been with the club since 2020. "When we hired Kyle Julius in 2020, we knew we were bringing in a leader with a relentless work ethic, a championship pedigree and a deep commitment to player development. His vision for high-performance basketball, combined with his ability to build a winning culture, aligned perfectly with the direction we wanted to take as an organization,” said Vancouver team president Dylan Kular. “Since his arrival, the Bandits have grown tremendously both on and off the court. We have established a culture of excellence, expanded our community reach, and built a foundation that continues to attract top-tier talent. Kyle has been instrumental in shaping our identity, and his leadership has positioned us as the premier franchise in the CEBL.” “I am incredibly excited to work with this outstanding group of coaches, we have our entire championship staff returning, and we’ve added some talented new coaches as well. Our organization has always been fully committed to providing our players with the highest level of coaching and development, both on and off the court,” said Vancouver head coach and general manager Kyle Julius. Under his leadership, Vancouver has advanced to the CEBL postseason in each of his five seasons at the helm, including two CEBL Finals appearances in 2020 and 2024. Julius led the Bandits to a 14-6 record in 2024, the club’s best regular season result in franchise history, which culminated with a CEBL Finals berth and being named recipient of the CEBL’s Coach of the Year award. The Thunder Bay, Ont. native became the first head coach in CEBL history to be signed on in a year-round capacity and recently signed a contract extension to 2026, greatly expanding the Bandits’ off-court endeavours including community outreach and grassroots basketball development efforts across British Columbia. “We have set the standard in the league when it comes to player development, training resources, strength and conditioning, recovery, on-court skill development, mental wellness, and emotional growth. This staff brings deep basketball experience at every level, ensuring that our players will improve on a daily basis and not only help our players grow as athletes but also as people. They are both dedicated to the Bandits and also committed to the game and ensuring our players have a great experience this summer. I am proud and honoured to work with this group of coaches,” Julius said. New additions to the Bandits bench in 2025 will include Steven Bennett as Player Development Coach, Tyrell Mara as Leadership & Performance Coach, and Louie Al-Hafidh as Assistant Coach & Head Video Coordinator. Ransford Brempong, Lead Assistant Coach & Director of Player Development - Brempong will serve as Lead Assistant Coach for a second season. Originally from Thornhill, Ont., he played a decorated college career at Western Carolina University between 2000-05 and his eight-year pro career included stints with the Canada senior men’s national team and the Bandits during their inaugural season in 2019. After retiring from the game, he worked as a colour commentator for Bandits broadcasts from 2021-23 and founded WCT Hoops, a basketball development program serving youth on Vancouver’s North Shore. Tony Scott, Assistant Coach & Senior Advisor - Scott will re-join the Bandits bench as an Assistant Coach for his fifth consecutive season. For nearly 25 years, he has coached high school basketball at Gleneagle Secondary in Coquitlam and most recently with Terry Fox Secondary in Port Coquitlam. A native of Winnipeg, Man., Scott previously spent 10 years as an assistant coach with the University of Manitoba and played post-secondary basketball from 1979 and 1984 at both the University of Winnipeg and Lakehead University. Matthew Barg, Assistant Coach & Video Coordinator - Barg is another returnee for Julius’ staff, assuming the role of assistant coach for a second season while also taking on responsibilities as the club’s Video Coordinator. Hailing from Montréal, Que., Barg played collegiately at McGill University from 2021 to 2022 and has served as a basketball coach at Selwyn House School. Louie Al-Hafidh, Assistant Coach & Head Video Coordinator - One of three newcomers to the Bandits bench, Al-Hafidh joins the Bandits from Dallas, Texas as head video coordinator for the 2025 season. He is currently working with the Dallas Mavericks’ NBA G League affiliate, the Texas Legends, where he is in his first season as the club’s Director of Basketball Operations. Prior to joining the Mavericks organization, Al-Hafidh spent four seasons with the University of North Texas as the Director of Scouting, Video and Analytics for its men’s basketball program. Steven Bennett, Assistant Coach & Player Development Coach - Bennett will make his debut on the Bandits’ coaching staff in 2025. Originally from Los Angeles, Calif., He played collegiately at Chaminade University and enjoyed a pro basketball career from 2012 to 2018 featuring stops in Germany, Italy, Australia, and the Czech Republic. Following his playing career, Bennett founded the HARD2GUARD basketball training academy, based in Surrey, B.C. Jon Giesbrecht, Director of Mental Skills & Performance - Joining the Bandits in 2024, Giesbrecht’s role addressing mental performance and player mindfulness is the first of its kind in the CEBL. The Winnipeg, Man. native previously served as an assistant coach with the University of Manitoba, University of Winnipeg and the University of Regina as well as with Canada Basketball and overseas with professional clubs in Italy. In addition to his work with the Bandits, Giesbrecht manages his own basketball academy, Play Free Ball, mentoring young athletes on mindfulness and mental performance. Jaxson Creasey, Director of Basketball Strategy - Creasey enters his second season with the Bandits. His previous experience includes work with the Victoria Royals and Canuck Place Children’s Hospice in various media and communications roles. Outside of the Bandits, Creasey has gained sport management experience with athlete management group Apollo Athletics as a Junior Agent and is an alumnus of the University of Victoria. Tanner Care, Director of Athletic Performance - Care takes on the role of Director of Athletic Performance for a third consecutive season. He initially joined the club in 2023 where he introduced a specialized department focused on player strength and conditioning. In addition to his work with the Bandits, he is also the head strength and conditioning coach with Simon Fraser University Athletics overseeing the development of student-athletes across several sports. Jackson Banman, Strength & Conditioning Performance Coach - Banman originally joined the Bandits for the 2023 season, working alongside Tanner Care in building the team’s Athletic Performance department. He also serves as a coach with Simon Fraser University Athletics with their strength and conditioning team and works as a personal trainer with local athletes. Kosta Ikonomou, Head Athletic Therapist - Ikonomou begins his sixth season as an athletic therapist with the Bandits, having been involved with the club since its inaugural season in 2019. His previous experience in high performance sports and health includes work with Chelsea FC, Team GB, Trinity Western University athletics and top health organizations in both Canada and England. He obtained his BSc (hons) in Physiotherapy from Brunel University London after completing his BSc of Human Kinetics from the University of Fraser Valley. Furthermore, he holds a master’s degree in Sports Medicine Exercise & Health from the University College of London. Tyrell Mara, Leadership & Performance Coach - Mara joins the Bandits for his first season, serving as a leadership coach. After a decorated high school basketball career with his hometown White Rock Christian Academy, his post-secondary journey included stops at Portland State University and Trinity Western University. After basketball, Mara transitioned into leadership coaching and public speaking where he currently operates his own mentorship and wellness program, The Human Performance Project. Rounding out the staff are volunteer coaches Kyle Brown, Matthew Carrion, Tom Connolly and Othneil Spence, and team doctors Dr. Presley Moodley and Dr. David Wickham.