WINNIPEG SEA BEARS NAME FIRST HEAD COACH
Winnipeg, MB – December 14, 2022 – The Winnipeg Sea Bears announced Wednesday that Mike Taylor has been named the first Head Coach and General Manager of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) expansion franchise.
“We would like to extend a warm welcome to Mike and are pleased to have him join the Sea Bears organization,” said Jason Smith, President of the Winnipeg Sea Bears. “We know that his positive energy and extensive and impressive coaching experience will be a true asset to our team as we embark on our first season in the CEBL.”
Mike Taylor brings to the table two decades worth of professional coaching experience. Most recently, he served as the head coach for the CEBL’s Fraser Valley Bandits. Prior to that, he coached the Polish national team from 2014 to 2021, bringing their world ranking up from #42 to #13. He also led the team to a top 8 finish at the World Cup in China in 2019 and three EuroBasket appearances in 2015, 2017 and 2022.
“It is an honour to join the Winnipeg Sea Bears for their inaugural season,” said Taylor. “I would like to thank the team for putting their trust in me. I am looking forward to getting to work on what’s sure to be an exciting season in 2023.”
Taylor also left his mark on the German basketball scene, coaching 11 seasons and leading three organizations to promotion (Hamburg Towers, Ratiopharm Ulm and Niners Chemnitz (formerly Chemnitz 99ers). Prior to this, he led the Maine Celtics (formerly Maine Red Claws) of the NBA’s G League to the organization’s first playoff appearance and coached the league’s all-star game in 2013.
He is described as an optimistic, positive person by nature whose coaching style helps to maximize talent by creating a relationship-based coaching environment which brings the best out in each player. He is originally from Clarion, Pennsylvania and has two sons with his wife, Alice.
Taylor is currently acting as associate head coach with the 2022 CEBL Champion Honey Badgers, who are representing Canada in the FIBA
Basketball Champions League Americas (BCLA).
In addition to naming their head coach, the Sea Bears also announced that deposits on tickets for the inaugural 2023 season are now being accepted at www.seabears.ca. Fans can lock in their seats by placing a non-refundable $50 deposit per seat, which ensures priority access to the best seats at the best prices for the 2023 season.
About the Winnipeg Sea Bears
The Winnipeg Sea Bears is a professional basketball team competing in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL). The team will play all their home games at the Canada Life Centre in downtown Winnipeg, MB. The Sea Bears open their inaugural 2023 season in May. Get your season tickets and find more information about the team at www.seabears.ca. The team’s social handle @wpgseabears may be followed on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.
About the CEBL
The CEBL features 10 teams in six provinces, making it the largest pro sports league in Canada. The CEBL has the highest percentage of Canadian players of any pro league in the country with 71 percent of its 2022 rosters being Canadian. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U Sports. The only First Division Professional League Partner of Canada Basketball, the CEBL season runs May through August. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.