Vancouver Bandits Announce 2025 Coaching and Basketball Operations Staff

Bandits Staff • March 18, 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 Othniel Spence, and team doctors Dr. Presley Moodley and Dr. David Wickham.

LATEST NEWS

Vancouver Bandits and Sentinel Storage Extend Partnership Into 8th Season

By Bandits Staff • April 30, 2025
The Vancouver Bandits announced today a two-year partnership extension with Sentinel Storage that expands on the companies’ long-standing relationship and reinforces a shared commitment to youth, sport, and community in British Columbia. This renewed partnership builds on a foundation that dates back to 2020 with the Bandits Athletic Centre in Abbotsford, where Sentinel Storage played a key role in supporting multiple sport organizations at the grassroots level during the pandemic. Sentinel Storage and the Bandits are deepening their impact through two major initiatives: co-presenting the Bandits' annual School Day Game, and serving as the founding and presenting partner of the First Buckets program by the Bandits Community Foundation. The School Day Game, set to be held at Langley Events Centre during the Bandits’ 2025 season on May 8th, is a high-energy morning basketball game that invites thousands of elementary and middle school students for an unforgettable field trip experience. The event is designed to inspire youth through sport, while providing educators and students with a unique opportunity to engage with professional basketball in a fun and educational setting. "At Sentinel Storage, we believe in the power of community and the importance of supporting youth development through sport,” said Jenn Johnson, Director of Operations, Western Canada, Sentinel Storage. “We’re excited to be expanding our partnership with the Bandits to help make basketball more accessible to youth across British Columbia, while also fostering important life skills like teamwork, resilience, and leadership. We’re proud to be a part of this journey and look forward to seeing how we can continue to make a difference in the lives of young athletes in B.C.” Sentinel Storage has also committed to leading the launch of First Buckets, a flagship initiative of the Bandits Community Foundation. This program delivers basketball starter kits to schools across British Columbia, helping introduce the game to new communities. Each kit includes basketballs, jerseys, and coaching materials, along with life skills curriculum and the potential for a visit from Berry the Bandit, the team’s beloved mascot. The program makes the sport accessible while championing important lessons in teamwork, resilience, and leadership. “We’re grateful to be partnered with a community-minded organization like Sentinel Storage who also took a chance on us in 2020 when we launched the Bandits Athletic Centre. Since day one with Sentinel Storage it has been evident that they passionately care about the power sport has on supporting youth in British Columbia,” said Dylan Kular, President of the Vancouver Bandits. “Together, through the Bandits Community Foundation, we are going to provide more basketball for more people across British Columbia with the First Buckets program and impact youth across all four corners of the province.”  The partnership between Sentinel Storage and the Vancouver Bandits is a testament to the impact that strong community-focused collaborations can have. With shared values at the core, this partnership is poised to make a lasting difference—on the court and beyond.

Vancouver Bandits Sign Grant Shephard for 2025 CEBL Season

By Bandits Staff • April 30, 2025
The Vancouver Bandits announced Wednesday that the club has signed 6-foot-10 forward Grant Shephard for its upcoming Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season at Langley Events Centre (LEC). Hailing from Kelowna, B.C., Shephard recently played for Swedish club Jämtland Basket in the Basketligan, the country’s highest division of men’s pro basketball. During the 2024-25 season, he averaged 13.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 28.5 minutes in 32 games played while shooting 62 per cent from the field. Prior to Sweden, Shephard also played in Estonia (BC Kalev-Cramo, 2023-24) and Spain (Esguiera Basket, 2023-24). Shephard established himself as a dominant big man during his U SPORTS career, playing at the University of British Columbia (2017-20) before transferring to Carleton (2021-23). He captured a national championship with the Ravens in 2022-23 while also being named a U SPORTS Final 8 tournament all-star and Ontario University Athletics (OUA) second team all-star. “Grant has had two great seasons playing overseas since he was last with us. He is one of BC's best big men and I am really looking forward to getting back to work with him,” said head coach and general manager Kyle Julius. This will be Shephard’s third stint with the Bandits and fourth overall in the CEBL. He made his league debut in 2019 with the Bandits as a Development Athlete, including playing in the club’s inaugural game on May 9, 2019, and made subsequent appearances with the Niagara River Lions in 2021 and with the Bandits a second time in 2023. Across three CEBL seasons, Shephard has appeared in a combined 22 games and averaged 8.1 minutes, 2.4 points and 1.6 rebounds per game. “I am grateful to be back with the Bandits this season and ready to grind. I can already tell that this summer will be special,” said Shephard. Prior to finishing his high school career at the prestigious Montverde Academy in Florida, Shephard attended Kelowna Secondary. Shephard helped guide the Owls to a B.C. AAAA provincial championship in 2016 while he took home MVP honours as a junior. On the international stage, Shephard has represented Canada at both the junior and senior levels. Most notably, he captured the FIBA U19 World Cup in 2017, alongside current Toronto Raptor RJ Barrett, and earned a silver medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Vancouver Bandits, Bandits Community Foundation and Headlands Environmental Extend Partnership Through 2028 CEBL Season

By Bandits Staff • April 25, 2025
The Vancouver Bandits announced today that Headlands Environmental has signed a three-year extension as an official partner of the club through the 2028 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season. The renewed partnership continues Headlands Environmental’s commitment to youth development, community building, and Indigenous reconciliation through basketball and environmental stewardship. A cornerstone of the collaboration is the Indigenous Basketball Collective (IBC) , a long-term initiative powered by the Bandits Community Foundation and supported by Headlands since its inception. “Headlands Environmental has been a driving force behind the vision and growth of the Indigenous Basketball Collective,” said Dylan Kular, team president of the Vancouver Bandits. “This renewed partnership is a reflection of shared values — using sport as a tool for access, empowerment, and opportunity in Indigenous communities.” Since 2022, the partnership has helped fund basketball camps for Indigenous youth, officials and coaches, many of whom are attending their first ever organized training sessions led by professional athletes and coaches. In addition, Headlands has played a key role in supporting Court Projects — a program focused on building and revitalizing outdoor basketball courts including in Indigenous communities across British Columbia to create more accessible, safe, and vibrant places to play. Bandits and Headlands worked specifically on the development of an outdoor basketball court in Shxwhá:y Village (near Chilliwack) . "Headlands Environmental is proud to be a founding partner of the Indigenous Basketball Collective (IBC). As avid basketball fans we believe in the power of sport, and giving back to the communities in which we work,” said Mike Hofer, principal and owner of Headlands Environmental. “We’re very excited to be working with the Vancouver Bandits and with our Indigenous partners to be a part of this exciting initiative and to build on this with future opportunities for youth and community development". In addition to supporting Court Projects and Indigenous Basketball Collective, Headlands has played a key role in supporting youth from Mission in basketball participation through the Community Champion program. The Community Champion program with Headlands specifically supports Mission groups such as schools, not-for-profits and charitable organizations. With the 2025 season approaching, the Bandits and Headlands Environmental are excited to expand the reach of the Indigenous Basketball Collective to more communities and continue making sport a sustainable pathway for connection, confidence, and cultural pride. 

Vancouver Bandits Re-Sign Guard Glen Yang

By Bandits Staff • April 24, 2025
The Vancouver Bandits announced Thursday that the club has re-signed 6-foot-4 Canadian guard and Hong Kong national team member Glen Yang for its 2025 season in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL). Born in Burnaby, B.C. and splitting time between Hong Kong and Calgary, Alta. in his youth, Yang played five seasons of U SPORTS basketball starring at Mount Royal University from 2014-2019. “I’m extremely excited to re-join the Bandits and go after a championship after so much success as a team last season,” said Yang. “The fans, support and resources that both the city and team provide are unmatched. In terms of basketball clubs, the Bandits are as professional as it gets.“ The 2025 season will be Yang’s third in the CEBL. Making his league debut in 2023, he started in all 20 games with the Winnipeg Sea Bears during their inaugural season before signing with the Bandits last year where he appeared in 19 regular season games. “Glen is a tremendous Canadian player in our league. He is the consummate professional and makes everyone around him better,” said head coach and general manager Kyle Julius. “I’m really excited about getting back to work with Glen this summer.” Yang is currently in his fifth season of professional basketball, playing the 2024-25 season with Hong Kong-based club, Eastern, who competed in the East Asia Super League and Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner's Cup competitions. During his time in the PBA, he shot a career high 45 per cent from the three-point line while helping his squad reach the Commissioner's Cup quarterfinals. At the international level, Yang represents Hong Kong. He received his first call up to the national squad during the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers this past February, suiting up in games against New Zealand and Chinese Taipei. Tickets for the 2025 season, including Season Tickets, Jam Packs and Single Game Tickets, are currently on sale for the Bandits’ seventh CEBL season and are available for purchase at this link . The Bandits tip-off the 2025 CEBL campaign on Thursday, May 15 when the club hits the road to take on the Saskatchewan Rattlers. Fans will have their first chance to watch the club at home on Thursday, May 22 at 7 p.m. PT when Vancouver hosts the Niagara River Lions in a rematch of the 2024 CEBL Final. Vancouver will play a total of 12 regular season home games in 2025 between Thursday, May 22 and Sunday, August 3. The Bandits wrap up regular season action on the road in Ottawa on Sunday, August 10 at 12 p.m. PT. All CEBL regular season games including playoffs will be live-streamed on TSN+, as well as the CEBL’s OTT platform, CEBL+ , and on CEBL Mobile, the official app of the CEBL (available on Android and iOS devices). Individuals interested in learning more about tickets for the Vancouver Bandits’ upcoming 2025 season are kindly asked to call (604) 455-8881 or email tickets@thebandits.ca . 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 .

LATEST VIDEO

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Vancouver Bandits take over high school basketball courts

By Bandits Staff • February 18, 2025
The Vancouver Bandits have been busy this offseason visiting local high schools and lending his expertise to players and coaches. Head coach and general manager Kyle Julius and team president Dylan Kular speak with Global BC's Jay Janower. The Bandits Community Foundation School Tour is presented by Preston Chevrolet and University Canada West. Learn more at https://www.banditsfoundation.ca/secondary-buckets

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