Vancouver Titans name GM
August 23, 2008 - International Basketball League (IBL)
BC Titans News Release
The Vancouver Titans are pleased to announce that they have hired David Petroziello as the first General Manager and Director of Basketball Operations in team history. Petroziello joins the Titans after a successful career as an organizer, high school, and college coach in his home province of Quebec. Having cut his teeth on the active and competitive Quebec basketball scene over the past 15 years, he brings a wealth of experience to the Lower Mainland-his adoptive home since graduate studies brought him to B.C. in 2006- "I am honoured to be given this opportunity to contribute to the successful return of professional basketball to Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. There is unbelievable passion and dedication to basketball in B.C., and I look forward to working with the basketball community to bring a professional, exciting brand of basketball to Vancouver that will help grow the sport even more."
After completing an extensive hiring process, team Owner and President Jonathan Mara is confident he has found the right person to help build the Titans organization- "David has a combination of passion for the game, deep basketball knowledge, integrity and organizational skills. The Vancouver Titans are fortunate to have David Petroziello as our GM", stated Mara.
As GM and Director of Basketball Operations, Petroziello will be charged with overseeing all day-to-day operations of the franchise, including the scouting, recruiting, and signing of players. Petroziello-"one of our core objectives is to provide an outlet for Canadian players who have completed their eligibility, either at the CIS, NCAA, or college level, and are looking for an opportunity to continue playing professionally. We will focus a great deal on providing a platform from which our players can get added exposure to international scouts and increase their chances of landing a contract in a European, Asian, or Latin American professional league. The IBL has an established track record of helping players land contracts not only overseas, but also in the NBA-DL, a great stepping stone right into the NBA; our fans will get to see some great young players working hard to achieve their dream. I am committed to bringing in players of whom our fans and community can be proud. I am a firm believer in the inspirational power of sport, and I am convinced that we can be successful while doing things the right way".
The newly minted GM does recognize that as an expansion franchise in a market which had, and lost, an NBA team, the Titans have some special challenges ahead of them. "Having loved and lost before with professional basketball, I can understand that there may be some who look sceptically upon a new minor league team establishing itself here. I also know, however, that there is an incredible thirst not being met for high-level basketball in the Lower Mainland which has grown significantly in the past five years and I am confident that the Vancouver Titans can fill that need".
International Basketball League Stories from August 23, 2008
- Vancouver Titans name GM - BC Titans
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