Victor Raso Celebrates 5 Years as Head Coach with the Niagara River Lions
St. Catharines, ON – The Niagara River Lions celebrate Head Coach and General Manager, Victor Raso’s fifth milestone season with the organization ahead of the 2023 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) campaign.
Raso first joined the River Lions organization in 2017 when he began as Lead Assistant Coach before taking over as Head Coach and General Manager for the CEBL’s inaugural 2019 season.
During his time as Head Coach, Raso has built and sustained a successful basketball program allowing Niagara to be one of the preeminent basketball destinations for professional players looking to develop and further their careers over the spring and summer months.
As the longest tenured Head Coach in CEBL history, Raso has a track record of success with an overall record of 41-22. Raso was named the CEBL Coach of the Year in 2019 and has led Niagara to be the only CEBL team to appear at every Championship Weekend. In 2021, the River Lions became the first CEBL team to have a player sign an NBA contract, when Javin DeLaurier signed with the Milwaukee Bucks after a successful summer under Raso’s direction. Days later, Xavier Sneed from the same 2021 team went on to sign a contract with the Utah Jazz.
“I'm incredibly proud of the work we have done over the past 4 seasons, and I'm honoured to continue that work into year 5,” said Raso. “I'm forever grateful of Jeff Sotiriou for the trust and support he has in me, and I will continue to work tirelessly to make our staff, fans, and the entire Niagara Region proud of the River Lions.”
In Raso’s five years as bench boss, five players have earned CEBL Awards including Guillaume Boucard, 2019 Canadian Player of the Year, Sam Muldrow, 2019 Defensive Player of the Year, Lloyd Pandi, 2021 U SPORTS Player of the Year, EJ Onu, 2022 Defensive Player of the Year and Khalil Ahmad, 2022 Player of the Year. Six players have earned spots on the All-CEBL First, Second and All-Canadian Teams.
“Victor has been an instrumental part of the River Lions organization both on and off the court,” said River Lions President, Jeffrey Sotiriou. “Our organization would not have had the growth and success that we have had, without his leadership and professionalism.”
Prior to joining the River Lions organization, Raso gained experience both playing and coaching for Canada’s top university basketball program. He won back-to-back CIS national titles in 2013 and 2014 as captain with Carleton University before taking on the role of Assistant Coach for the Ravens, where he earned his third championship title alongside Canadian U SPORTS legend, Dave Smart.