Rattlers to have entirely homegrown coaching staff this season

Scott Larson · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 24, 2025 3:06 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 minutes ago

The Saskatchewan Rattlers instrumentality to the hard tribunal successful little than a month, and this twelvemonth the Canadian Elite Basketball League squad volition beryllium led by an all-Saskatchewan coaching staff.

The homegrown endowment includes newly-named caput manager Eric Magdanz, primitively from Yorkton, adjunct coaches Steve Burrows from Regina and Saskatoon's Rob Lovelace.

"Basketball crossed Canada is booming and coaching is benignant of astatine the forefront of that," Magdanz said.

"I deliberation we're beauteous fortunate and fortunate that we get to beryllium a portion of that and usage this league arsenic a maturation accidental for ourselves."

All 3 person been portion of the Rattlers for a fig of years.

Before Magdanz joined the Rattlers, helium spent 7 years arsenic caput manager of MacEwan University successful Edmonton.

Burrows has been the caput manager of the University of Regina Cougars men's squad since 2013.

Lovelace starred with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies, was an adjunct manager determination and besides was the president of Basketball Saskatchewan committee of directors successful 2023-24.

Magdanz said there's a large quality successful coaching successful a pro league arsenic opposed to university.

"It's what tin you bash for america now, and what tin you bash for america implicit these adjacent 24 games," Magdanz said.

"We're dealing with adults. This is their career, this is their profession. So that holds a batch of value successful our decision-making."

Rattlers wide manager Barry Rawlick said the level of coaching successful the state continues to get better.

"The extent of the excavation of coaches that are capable to thatch the crippled good has grown significantly," Rawlick said, adding it besides gives the squad immoderate stability.

"You privation to effort and physique a civilization and erstwhile you're starting from scratch each year, that's precise difficult."

Magdanz said coaches from Canada, and Saskatchewan, are making their people crossed the world.

"The Egyptian nationalist squad manager was Canadian, some German nationalist squad coaches are Canadian, including our precise ain Lisa Thomaidis," Magdanz said, referring to the the U of S women's hoops manager who led the Huskies to a nationalist title this year.

He said Briercrest has won the a inferior assemblage title, and Humboldt's Paige Cozens represented Canada astatine the Olympics successful three-on-three basketball

"So for a state present of a cardinal people, we clasp our ain precise well."

Lovelace began arsenic a colour expert connected Rattler broadcasts, but past transitioned to being connected the seat coaching a mates of years ago.

He credits the radical that coached him with helping elevate his skills.

"We bash a bully occupation done our Basketball Saskatchewan programme of getting our coaches trained and wanting to turn the game, turn our coaches," said Lovelace, adding this volition this year's variation of the Rattlers volition person a antithetic look.

"I deliberation we've got a bully program going forward, truthful I'm excited for it."

Magdanz said the absorption volition beryllium looking aft the antiaircraft broadside of the ball.

"We're going to beryllium a defence archetypal squad that gets up and down the tribunal and plays hard," Magdanz said.

"I cognize from the players that we person signed, they're excited to beryllium present and excited to pb america to a championship."