The Niagara River Lions have locked up the services of the team’s head coach and general manager for the next three years.
The River Lions announced Monday that Victor Raso, who led the squad to the Canadian Elite Basketball League title in 2024, will return to the club after he signed a three-year contract extension.
Raso first signed on with Niagara as an assistant coach in 2017 before he took over a head coach the following year. At that time, the team was a member of the National Basketball League of Canada. He added the title of general manager to his portfolio when the River Lions left to join the CEBL in 2019. Since then, he has guided the team to the league’s championship tournament every year since, culminating in Niagara winning the league title at the 2024 tournament in Verdun, Que., with a 97-95 win over the Vancouver Bandits.
Raso is also the longest tenured head coach in CEBL history, compiling a regular season record of 66-32 and a 5-5 playoff mark. More impressively, he led Niagara to a perfect 11-0 home record on its way to the league title.
“Victor embodies everything we stand for as an organization – professionalism, passion, dedication and a relentless drive to succeed,” said President, Michelle Biskup. “We couldn’t be prouder of his achievements, and we’re excited to continue building a championship calibre team under his leadership for years to come.”
During the off-season, Raso is coach of the Ridley College boys prep team, which has racked up a 9-3 won-lost record, good for top spot in the Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association's West Division. He was also named by the City of St. Catharines as its 2024 Sportsman of the Year.