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News out of Ottawa, The Ottawa BlackJacks, have announced their new head coach! We are so excited to have you in Ottawa and can’t wait to catch some basketball this season.
The Ottawa BlackJacks of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Tuesday that Charles Dubé-Brais has been named head coach of the second-year franchise.
Dubé-Brais, 39, has an extensive coaching resume that includes assignments in many of the significant professional basketball leagues around the world. Most recently Dubé-Brais served as assistant coach for Jama Mahlalela and Raptors 905 of the NBA G League, where he spent significant time coaching 2019 NBA G League MVP and current Raptors forward Chris Boucher. Additionally, Dubé-Brais participated as guest coach in the NBA Summer League with the San Antonio Spurs from 2015-2017, which included the 2015 NBA Las Vegas Summer League title.
Understanding the globalization of basketball, Dubé-Brais traveled to China for the 2017-2018 season, where he was named Asean Basketball League Coach of the Year with the Chongson Kung Fu Club in China, after sporting a league-best 15-5 record.
For eight years Dubé-Brais honed his coaching craft in France where he progressed through the esteemed Nanterre 92 professional club, where Ottawa BlackJacks guard Johnny Berhanemeskel currently plays. In 2015, Dubé-Brais was runner up for Coach of the Year honours.
Off the court, Dubé-Brais serves as an NBA analyst with French-language all-sports television station RDS in Québec.
In Ottawa, Dubé-Brais will work with general manager Jevohn Shepherd and assistant general manager Andy Rautins in completing the coaching staff throughout the coming weeks as the CEBL free agency period begins February 1, 2021. He replaces Osvaldo Jeanty, whose contract expired following the BlackJacks inaugural season and he informed the team he would not be returning.
Dubé-Brais and his wife, Cyrièle, have two sons, Julius and Jonah. Born in Québec City, Dubé-Brais is a graduate of the University of Laval, where he earned a Bachelor of Science with a specialty in sport coaching.
Quotes:
“Charles brings a wealth of professional coaching expertise to Ottawa and the CEBL. Recognized as a passionate and detail-oriented basketball coach, his NBA and international coaching experiences will help in recruiting top talent to the nation’s capital and expand the credibility of Canada’s domestic pro league. Having coached in some of the top leagues throughout the world, Charles brings a truly international flare to the sidelines. It’s a very exciting time for the BlackJacks organization.” – Jevohn Shepherd
General Manager, Ottawa BlackJacks Basketball Club
“With so many colleagues and friends already working in the CEBL, I am thrilled to join their efforts in growing the league. In just two seasons, the CEBL has developed a reputation throughout the basketball world as an emerging opportunity for the best in the game to shine, and a great platform for Canadian and international talent to grow and get the exposure it deserves. I am extremely excited and honoured to serve as head coach of the Ottawa BlackJacks. We are on the cusp of something very special and we can’t wait to get started and build a championship culture in our nation’s Capital.” – Charles Dubé-Brais
Head Coach, Ottawa BlackJacks Basketball Club
About the Ottawa BlackJacks
The first expansion franchise of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), the Ottawa BlackJacks will showcase the best of basketball and entertainment in the nation’s capital. In its inaugural campaign, the BlackJacks earned a semifinal appearance at the 2020 CEBL Summer Series. Lead by general manager Jevohn Shepherd and assistant general manager Andy Rautins, Ottawa will play its home games out of the world-class Arena at TD Place in Lansdowne Park. For more information visit www.theblackjacks.ca.
About Canadian Elite Basketball League
The CEBL is preparing for its third season in 2021 following the success of this past year’s CEBL Summer Series in St. Catharines, Ont., which saw millions of viewers across Canada and around the world tune in starting July 25 to watch 26 games played over 15 days in a single-site league competition. The CEBL became the first professional sports league in Canada to return to play after the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus in mid-March shut down sports across the country. A league created by Canadians for Canadians, the CEBL has the highest percentage of Canadian players of any professional league in the country, with 80 percent of its current rosters being Canadians. Players come from the NBA G League, top international leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. The only First Division Professional League Partner of Canada Basketball, the CEBL season typically runs from May through August.
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