Canada Basketball announced the coaches who will oversee its teams at this summer's inaugural GLOBL JAM FIVES competition on Wednesday. Carly Clarke will lead the under-23 women's national team and Nathaniel Mitchell will guide the senior men's national team.
The tournament, which will aim to shine an international spotlight on basketball's rising stars, takes place from July 5-10 at the Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto and will be broadcast nationally by Sportsnet.
For Clarke, who joined the senior women's team as an assistant coach in 2018, the tournament figures to be something of a homecoming. Since 2012, she has been the head coach of the Toronto Metropolitan University women's basketball program, which calls Mattamy home, and just led the team to its first U Sports national championship.
“To have the chance to lead this outstanding group of athletes on our home court and compete in front of friends and family is a truly special experience,” Clarke said. “Having had the opportunity to work with many of these players across our age-group levels, and to follow their basketball journeys in the years since, the coaching staff is looking forward to getting our group together in the gym over the next few weeks."
Trailblazing is familiar territory for Clarke, who also led Canada to its first medal at an international FIBA women's age group event back in 2012, capturing bronze at the FIBA under-17 world championship. Her team also had a historic showing at the under-19 World Cup in 2017, defeating Japan in the bronze medal game to earn Canada's first-ever medal at the tournament.
“GLOBL JAM is truly an exciting, new event," Clarke said. "And while it’s always an honour to be able to work with the national team, to have the ability to do it in Canada is something I’m sure myself and the players will never forget.”
Mitchell most recently coached alongside Nate Bjorkgren during the first two windows of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Qualifiers, helping Canada open with an undefeated 4-0 record.
Mitchell also served as an assistant coach on Nick Nurse's senior men's team staff for the FIBA Basketball World Cup and the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament which took place in Victoria last summer.
“Having worked directly with some of the country's next generation of talented athletes over the last several years, the future of Canadian basketball continues to be bright and will undoubtedly be on display this summer at GLOBL JAM,” Mitchell said.
A member of the senior men's national team coaching staff since 2016, Mitchell will also assume the duties of head coach for the FIBA AmeriCup 2022 in Brazil later this summer.
Outside of his national team duties, Mitchell, who is originally from Toronto, was an assistant coach with the Toronto Raptors this past season.
"To be head coach of our national team and represent my country is not only a tremendous honour, but has been a goal of mine throughout my coaching career,” Mitchell said. “To have the unique opportunity to lead Team Canada not only in Canada, but in my hometown of Toronto at the inaugural GLOBL JAM, is truly special.”
