Gee-Gees' Derouin will return to coach Ottawa BlackJacks in 2023
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James Derouin will continue his exercise in double dribbling.
The Ottawa BlackJacks of the Canadian Elite Basketball League confirmed Tuesday that Derouin, who also serves as head coach of the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees, will return to run the on-court show for the BlackJacks.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to come back with the BlackJacks for another season and keep building on what we accomplished last summer,” Derouin said in a statement issued by the team. “Growing up in Ottawa, I have first-hand knowledge of the importance of basketball in the community and I am happy to be a part of a professional organization that contributes to its growth.”
After an 0-3 start to the 2022 season, Derouin stepped in as interim head coach, replacing Charles Dube-Brais. The BlackJacks finished the season at 8-12. As the host team for the CEBL’s final four tournament in August, the BlackJacks were granted a berth in the league semifinal, where they lost a nailbiting 76-72 game to the Hamilton Honey Badgers, who went on to the win the championship.
BlackJacks GM Jevohn Shepherd says re-hiring Derouin was an easy decision.
“After speaking with many of our players, it was a no-brainer,” he said in a statement. “The connection and reception he had within the locker room spoke volumes. We’ve always talked about having a space and impacting the Ottawa community and James embodies all of this, from his position with the University of Ottawa to the respect he garners here in the Ottawa basketball community.”
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