Vancouver Bandits Extend CEBL Coach of the Year Kyle Julius

Bandits Staff • October 23, 2024

The Vancouver Bandits announced Wednesday that the club has extended its head coach and general manager, Kyle Julius, through the 2025 and 2026 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) seasons in a year-round capacity. 


Julius joined the club in 2020 during the Bandits’ second CEBL season and made an immediate impact, helping the team advance to its first-ever CEBL championship in his dual role. Fast forward to 2024 and Julius once again led the Bandits to the CEBL finals this past August, losing by just two points to the Niagara River Lions. 


A native of Thunder Bay, Ont., Julius’ tenure with the Bandits has fuelled the rise of BC’s pro basketball team to become an annual CEBL contender. Vancouver has advanced to the CEBL postseason in each of his five seasons at the helm and has won various individual and team accolades along the way; including Julius being named Coach of the Year at the league’s annual awards last August in Montréal.


“The past five seasons with the Bandits have been an incredibly rewarding experience for my family and I. It has been truly amazing to have the opportunity to live here locally, build relationships in the community and help drive the growth of the Bandits and develop the club into the CEBL’s premier organization,” Julius said.


“We have created a winning culture here in BC through tremendous hard work, trials, tribulations and lots of special moments. Our coaching staff has consisted of great people, our players have been outstanding and our front office has contributed on so many different levels.” 


The Bandits finished the 2024 season with a 14-6 record – the club’s best regular season result in franchise history. At 2024 CEBL Championship Weekend, Julius led the franchise to win its first-ever western conference championship. 


The CEBL campaign is expanding to a 24-game regular season slate in 2025. With the club’s best-ever finish and numerous individual and team accomplishments to its name over the past five seasons under the direction of Julius, the organization is primed for an even bigger year ahead.


“Coach Kyle is an instrumental part of our organization. Over five seasons of Bandits Basketball, he has instilled core values in our roster and front office that continue to resonate and attract talent to our team. His leadership as a community ambassador during the CEBL offseason and a tactician on the court each summer has been inspiring to watch and we will continue to support his vision for winning basketball and community impact over the next two years,” said Bandits team president Dylan Kular.


Organizational and roster development is integral to Julius’ approach to recruiting coaches and players. Since joining Vancouver, Julius has created a nurturing culture where players can learn and grow, often earning CEBL award recognition and receiving overseas and NBA contracts following a summer with the Bandits. 


Players earning notable distinctions following a season with the Bandits include:

  • 2024 CEBL Most Valuable Player: Tazé Moore
  • 2024 CEBL Canadian Player of the Year: Koby McEwen
  • 2022 CEBL Developmental Player of the Year: Thomas Kennedy
  • 2021 Defensive Player of the Year: Brandon Gilbeck


“I am very grateful for everyone's hard work, sacrifice and support of our vision to become one of the best sports franchises in all of North America. I am thrilled to build on what we have all worked so hard to create here for the past five summers. We have the best fans in the league and I can't wait to get back out there in front of them again at LEC,” Julius said.


“On behalf of the Julius family, I want to genuinely thank our ownership of Kevin Dhaliwal and Bryan Slusarchuk, as well as our team president Dylan Kular for their unwavering support and collaborative efforts in building our vision and culture.”


In addition to establishing the Bandits as a perennial contender on the court, Julius has planted far-reaching roots in the province’s basketball community; conducting more than 50 school visits to middle and secondary schools across the Lower Mainland during the 2023-24 CEBL offseason, hosting virtual and in-person Basketball BC and Canada Basketball coaching seminars and leading weekly Train Like A Bandit skill sessions for high school boys and girls athletes this fall at the Bandits’ home venue of Langley Events Centre (LEC). 


The Bandits’ seventh CEBL season will tip-off in May 2025. A full season schedule is expected to be announced in the coming months.


Featuring newly added Courtside Club seating options and a revamped seating bowl configuration, season tickets for the Vancouver Bandits’ 2025 season are on sale now at this link.


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


Fans interested in learning more are kindly invited to subscribe to Bandits Insider for updates or contact the Bandits at 604-455-8881 or tickets@thebandits.ca.

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Mitchell Creek’s season debut didn’t disappoint. The reigning Canadian Elite Basketball League Most Valuable Player poured in 29 points, seven rebounds and four assists as a late game comeback by the Vancouver Bandits fell short. “I thought (Creek) was awesome tonight, as he always is,” said Bandits head coach Kyle Julius. The Scarborough Shooting Stars defeated the Vancouver Bandits 108-105 in dramatic fashion on Monday Night. The Shooting Stars led by as many as 17 points in the third quarter, which eventually turned into a one point deficit, led by Creek. However, the comeback proved to be too much for the Bandits as they fell in the final moments of the fourth quarter. “I was disappointed with our third quarter. It was like an implosion,” said Julius. In the opening quarter, back-and-forth action followed, with neither team gaining too large of an edge. The Shooting Stars led 24-23 after the first quarter. This contest featured a star-studded cast of players as both teams boast the best records in their conferences. The Bandits entered action with a 7-2 record, while the Shooting Stars were 7-1. Countless lead changes ensued, yet Scarborough’s lead jumped out to 65-61 by halftime. They continued the pressure as the lead grew to double digits in the third quarter, headlined by Myles Powell’s 33 points. Julius thought his team “lost their cool” and acted “immature” as the Shooting Stars took the lead. Jaelen House scored 22 points on seven-for-nine field goal shooting, while Miller Kopp followed with 20 points, five three pointers made and three steals. Jarkel Joiner had 17 points in 26 minutes. Despite the loss, Julius praised the versatility and depth of his team, noting the Bandits’ adversity through injuries. “I’m proud of where we are,” he said. The Bandits were without reigning Canadian Player of the Year Tyrese Samuel and Dre Davis, allowing Dominic Parolin into the starting lineup. Parolin finished with eight points and eight rebounds. Next, the Bandits will travel to Winnipeg for a matchup with the Sea Bears on Thursday before playing the Brampton Honey Badgers at home on Saturday.

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Bandits Victorious Over BlackJacks on Record Scoring Night

By Gary Ahuja • June 14, 2026
The Vancouver Bandits led nearly from start to finish, avenging an earlier loss with a 104-95 victory over the Ottawa BlackJacks. The teams met on Saturday night on Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre, with the Bandits improving to 7-2 atop the Canadian Elite Basketball League's Western Conference. The BlackJacks fell to 4-5, dropping into a tie for third place in the Eastern Conference. “The way they beat us was pretty evident and obvious,” said Vancouver Bandits coach Kyle Julius of the earlier meeting on June 2. “So, I thought we did a great job – for the most part – correcting what hurt us, so that was nice to see.” “I think there was probably a little more urgency defensively,” he explained. The Bandits led for all but 29 seconds of the game, thanks in large part to a 30-point opening quarter. From there, however, the offence struggled to maintain the same rhythm. “Fatigue. We just didn’t have our rotation,” Julius said. “We were shorthanded, and I wasn’t really surprised with the ebb and flow and the dips we had. “Even D’Andre Davis – who is going to be a very good player for us – but if you look at his ankle, it’s still swollen, so he’s out there hobbling around.” The offence was powered by Jarkel Joiner, who had 37 points – a franchise record – seven assists and four rebounds. “The coaches had a great game plan, and we executed it,” Joiner said. “We locked in, we didn’t take the game for granted.” Joiner had a larger role in the game, especially with point guard and leading scorer Jaelen House sidelined. “Honestly, it’s hard without him. He makes the game so much easier with his quickness, how fast he is, how explosive he is, how he sees the game,” Joiner admitted. “But coach needed me to step up tonight, and (Duane Notice) helped with the point guard role, and everybody stepped up.” Miller Kopp added 15 points and eight rebounds, Mychal Mulder finished with 13 and Tyrese Samuel chipped in 10 points and eight boards. Dominic Parolin came off the bench to finish with a double-double of 15 points and 13 rebounds, giving Vancouver five scorers in double figures. Ottawa was led by Javonte Smart’s 29 points with Matthew Cleveland and Justin Harmon both adding 19. "They play hard. They have respect for the game and force you into a lot of contested shots, so for us, we have to continue to fight for great shots," said BlackJacks coach Justin Mazzulla. “We have to continue to play together and have our energy not be impacted by whether the ball goes in or not.”  Up next, the Bandits return to Envision Financial Court on June 15 to host the Eastern Conference-leading Scarborough Shooting Stars (7-1). Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m.

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