Vancouver Bandits Sign Julius to Multi-Year Deal Through 2024 Season as Part of a First-Of-Its-Kind, Year-Round CEBL Coaching Appointment

The Vancouver Bandits announced Friday that the club has extended Kyle Julius’ contract through the 2024 season and has also inked its head coach and general manager to a year-round and in-market position with BC’s professional basketball team.

A landmark appointment in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), Julius becomes the first head coach to be positioned by their club full-time in their respective CEBL market throughout the calendar year. Julius’ multi-year deal represents a joint commitment between Julius and Bandits ownership to develop basketball in British Columbia from the grassroots to the professional level.

In addition to annually constructing the Bandits’ roster and leading the team on the sidelines, Julius’ role off the court will have an increased focus on community growth; including but not limited to school visits, camps and clinics, community appearances and more.

“It is an honour and a privilege to have the opportunity to work for this tremendous organization. The growth of the CEBL has been remarkable and we are now the first team to have a full-time and year-round head coach. The chance to get out into the community during our offseason and help grow the game is special and something I will not take for granted,” Julius said.

“We have worked hard to build a strong culture here and I feel truly blessed to be able to call BC home and chase championships with the Bandits.”

The Bandits have qualified for the postseason in each of Julius’ years of involvement with the club; including consecutive semifinal appearances in 2020 and 2021, as well as a play-in game qualification in 2022. 

Julius previously served as the Bandits’ head coach in 2020 when he led the Bandits to the CEBL finals. In 2021 and 2022, Julius continued his tenure as general manager but stepped away from the CEBL sidelines due to overlapping seasons with the P.LEAGUE+, where he has coached the Taiwan-based Formosa Dreamers since 2019. 

On December 20, 2023, it was announced that Julius would return to coach the Bandits for the 2023 season. However, in an effort to capitalize on Julius’ expertise and to make greater contributions to communities across BC, Julius’ role has now been amplified to position him in the Lower Mainland and focused on Bandits and grassroots projects throughout the calendar year.

“I have seen firsthand how Kyle inspires players on the court and youth during our community visits. We have been grateful to build some special partnerships with leaders and collaborators across the Lower Mainland, but we want to play an even bigger role in giving back and making a difference when it comes to basketball and community impact. This was the driving force in our decision to increase the scope of Kyle’s contract and to secure his role for the betterment of our grassroots endeavours, as well as our roster,” said Bandits president Dylan Kular.

The Bandits tip-off the 2023 CEBL campaign on Saturday, May 27 when the club takes on the Winnipeg Sea Bears at Canada Life Centre. Fans will have their first chance to watch the Bandits on home soil at 7 p.m. PT on Saturday, June 3 when Vancouver welcomes the Calgary Surge for its first-ever visit to LEC.

Single game tickets for the highly anticipated fifth season of Bandits Basketball are available for purchase at this link. Season tickets are available for purchase and can be accessed by clicking here.

A key highlight of Vancouver’s fifth CEBL campaign will be its hosting of Championship Weekend, which takes place between Friday, August 11 and Sunday, August 13. An annual celebration of the highest level of Canadian professional basketball, Championship Weekend features a postseason format that combines three games of playoff basketball as part of a multi-day festival experience designed to celebrate the intersection of arts, culture and sport. As hosts of Championship Weekend, the Bandits receive an automatic semifinal berth.

Individuals interested in learning more about tickets for the Vancouver Bandits’ 2023 season are kindly asked to call (604) 455-8881 or email [email protected]. A complete regular season schedule can be found by clicking here.

More information is available at thebandits.ca and @vancouverbandits on Instagram and TikTok, as well as @vancitybandits on Facebook and Twitter.