OSHAWA, Ont. - With the OCAA basketball season just around the corner the Durham Lords men's basketball team are excited to announce the addition of new assistant coach Keith Vassell.

Vassell brings with him a plethora of coaching experience, including several years as head coach of various programs. He served as the head basketball coach with the Niagara College Knights from 2014-17, spent  three seasons as the head coach and player development specialist with the Rock Sports Academy in Durham, and  he was the head coach of the Brandon University Bobcats from 2008-10.

Vassell has also coached many years at the professional level. He coached in Europe and in National Basketball League of Canade (NBLC) where he won the championship in 2017-18 season. During his time with the KR basketball club in Europe his teams were crowned both national and cup champions. Vassell was also the runner up for the 2001 Premier League coach of the year award.

Before turning his attention to coaching, Vassell enjoyed a highly-decorated international and domestic playing career.  At the university level, he competed for the Brandon Bobcats from 1991-96. While at Brandon, Vassell was named USPORTS rookie of the year in 1991 and player of the year in 1995. The dominant forward was also a key member of the Bobcats 1996 USPORTS national championship team being selected as the 1996 national championship MVP. Vassell's No. 4 jersey was retired by Brandon University at the completion of the 1996 season and his No. 21 jersey was retired at his other alma mater, Mother Teresa High School.

Coach Vassell also spent 11 seasons (1989-2000) competing as a member of the Canadian men's basketball national program. He competed for Canada in Olympic qualifying matches, the 1999 Pan-Am Games, the FISU Games, and the World Junior Basketball Championships.

He went on to spend 11 seasons playing professional basketball in Spain, Iceland, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland and Portugal, during which he was a member of three league championship teams, and was named MVP of the Iceland Premier League in 2000.

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