Hurricanes Announce Front Office Moves
December 20, 2019 - National Basketball League of Canada (NBL Canada)
Halifax Hurricanes News Release
Halifax, NS - Mark Lever, Managing Partner of the Halifax Hurricanes is pleased to announce the promotion of Mike Leslie from head coach to president and general manager of the organization. "Mike's passion for the game and this team made this decision a logical step in the evolution of this business," said Lever.
The move provides the team a full time professional leader for all facets of the business. The team is also pleased to announce that Coach Ryan Marchand will be the new head coach, effective immediately.
The team wants to express gratitude to Kevin Sanford who directed the business operations over the past three seasons while splitting his time as a leader in The Chronicle Herald's community partnership and promotions department. "Kevin has gone above and beyond to support and promote the Hurricanes and has been the driving force of our business operations. The Herald will benefit from his focus," said Lever.
Leslie has coached the Hurricanes since 2016, coming to Halifax after spending four years as an assistant with the Island Storm while working as a director in PEI's department of education. During his tenure the Hurricanes went to the Atlantic Conference finals three times and the league championships twice. "In order to grow and mature as a professional sports franchise we must have full time dedicated front office staff," said Leslie. "We look forward to further developing our internal team and continually strengthen the Hurricane brand and I am excited by the opportunities that exist for the growth of our organization. We are committed to delivering an exceptional entertainment product and give our patrons a true fan experience."
Marchand arrived in Halifax in late November from California and has quickly adjusted to life on the East Coast, working tirelessly to get up to speed with both on and off court Hurricane activity. Prior to his post with the Hurricanes he worked as an assistant coach in the NBA G-League for the Iowa Wolves, the minor league affiliate team of the NBA Minnesota Timberwolves. Marchand also coached Timberwolves team during the 2018 NBA Summer League Showcase in Las Vegas.
"Ryan is an excellent coach who will be a great fit for the Hurricanes. He brings lots of experience in the player development area having worked with current NBA and top international players from around the world. He is an outstanding communicator and has a very deep passion and understanding of basketball at the pro level," said Leslie.
The Hurricanes begin the season on the road December 28th vs the Island Storm and then are back at Scotiabank Center for their home opener vs the St. John's Edge, Sunday, December 29th at 2:00 pm.
National Basketball League of Canada Stories from December 20, 2019
- Hurricanes Announce Front Office Moves - Halifax Hurricanes
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
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