James Derouin remains head coach of the Ottawa BlackJacks

By Anil Jhalli

The Ottawa BlackJacks of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced on Tuesday, Dec. 20 that James Derouin will remain head coach of the team.

The Ottawa native served as interim head coach of the BlackJacks since June 5, 2022 and has since been promoted as the team's head coach. 

“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 release. “Growing up in Ottawa, I have first-hand knowledge of the importance of basketball in our community and I am happy to be a part of a professional organization that contributes to its growth.”

Derouin has played a key leadership role in the BlackJacks basketball operations department since Feb. 1, 2021, where he has been working alongside general manager and vice-president of basketball operations Jevohn Shepherd on player analysis and scouting. 

Derouin is the winningest coach in Gee-Gees men's basketball history, holding a career regular season record of 181-55. 

The University of Ottawa basketball alumnus started playing basketball for Gloucester High School and the Gloucester Wolverines.

“We are excited to have James back with us,” said Shepherd. “After speaking with many of our players, it was a no-brainer. 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.  We hope to continue to build off of last season with the BlackJacks.” 

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