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CEBL Newfoundland Growlers

Keith Vassell Named Assistant Coach & Assistant GM of Growlers Basketball

February 22, 2022 - Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL)
Newfoundland Growlers News Release


ST. JOHN'S, NL - The Newfoundland Growlers of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced that the club has named Keith Vassell Assistant Coach and Assistant General Manager for its inaugural 2022 season.

"I believe that Keith Vassell is the ideal fit for his position of Assistant Coach and Assistant GM of our organization," said Steve Konchalski, Growlers Senior Advisor of Basketball Operations. "A proven winner at the professional level, he brings a wealth of knowledge of the Canadian basketball landscape to the coaching staff, as he has coached as well as played at every level across our country".

With nearly 25 years of coaching experience, largely within Canada, local basketball fans in Newfoundland might recognize Vassell's name from his time leading the London Lightning back in 2018, where his club captured the NBLC Championship.

Vassell has a track record for working with young players and helping them develop, most recently serving as Head Coach for the Aruba Junior National Team. Having a strong understanding of domestic talent as well as practical experience both as a player and coach overseas, his unique skillset and CV make him an invaluable addition to the Growlers bench.

"I'm extremely grateful for this opportunity to join the Growlers for their inaugural CEBL season with a front office group that has big ambitions in early days," Vassell said of joining the Growlers staff. "The sporting market in Newfoundland is a unique one and their passion for basketball has climbed to new heights in recent years.

"With the introduction of the CEBL to the local basketball scene, I think the excitement surrounding the game will only increase."

A decorated CIS (now U SPORTS) player for five years with Brandon University in Manitoba between 1991-1996, Vassell turned pro the following year. The intersection between his playing career and coaching career took very little time as he served as a player-coach for KR Basket in Iceland at just 27 years old during the 1998 Úrvalsdeild karla season.

Across an 11-year playing career, Vassell made several other stops across Europe including Finland, Switzerland, France, Sweden and Portugal. He also represented the Canadian National team on several occasions, capturing a silver medal in San Juan at the 1999 FIBA AmeriCup.

Between retiring from his playing career in 2007 and coaching Aruba and a pair of NBL teams in London and Niagara, Vassell worked with both Niagara College and Brandon University, the latter of which he won a national championship with as a player in 1996.

Having taken the U SPORTS pathway from Canadian collegiate basketball to the professional ranks, both as coach and a player, Vassell will serve as an integral piece to the Newfoundland sideline for the 2022 season.

Season ticket deposits for the Growlers inaugural season at the Field House are on sale now at growlersbasketball.ca Fans are kindly asked to email tickets@nlgrowlers.com for any questions or ticket-related inquiries.

Newfoundland opens its season with a pair of weekend home games, beginning first on Friday, June 3 against the defending champion Edmonton Stingers, followed by a clash with the Ottawa Blackjacks on Sunday, June 5.

All CEBL regular-season games will be livestreamed on the free CBC Gem streaming service, cbcsports.ca, the CBC Sports app for iOS and Android devices and CEBL+.



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