THE CANADIAN PRESS
Jay Triano has long been the face of basketball in Canada, and now he becomes the face of Canada’s lone NBA franchise.
The native of Niagara Falls, Ont., was named the interim head coach of the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday, replacing Sam Mitchell. The move comes seven years after Triano first joined the franchise, becoming the became the first Canadian-born-and-trained coach in the NBA.
"I’ve always been a proud Canadian in playing and representing my country," Triano said in a conference call Wednesday from Denver. "If this is another way I’m seen as representing Canada, then I feel proud of that."
If the Raptors wanted to do an about-face on the bench, they couldn’t have picked more of a polar opposite to replace the larger-than-life Mitchell. To call Triano reserved in comparison to Mitchell would be a considerable understatement.
So it was no surprise Triano wasn’t over the top when talking about the news Wednesday.
"It’s a little bittersweet, Sam … gave me the opportunity to work with him, and was great to work with. When you’re together for three and-a-half years, as well as being coaches you become friends," Triano said. "But it’s an opportunity and I look forward to moving forward and seeing what we can do with this basketball team."
The 48-year-old Triano first served as an assistant to Lenny Wilkens during the Raptors’ 2002-03 season, but he’d already compiled a lengthy basketball career before arriving in Toronto. He spent 11 distinguished seasons playing for Canada and then six more seasons as the team’s head coach, leading the group that went 5-2 at the 2000 Olympics and finished seventh.
He counts the late Jack Donohue as one of his biggest coaching influences, along with Mitchell.
"When you play for somebody for 11 years, their philosophies and values not only of the game but the offcourt stuff gets instilled in you," Triano said. "And I’ve learned an immense amount from Sam, he was a guy that played in the CBA, played overseas, was a non-starter, was a starter, he knew the ins and outs of the NBA, and you learn from people you spend the most amount of time with."
Triano played his college ball for Simon Fraser University from 1977-81, where he set 11 records, including the career scoring mark of 2,616 points (which has since been passed). He was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1981 but never played a game with the team, and was also drafted by the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL.
He played in the 1984 and ’88 Olympics, and was part of the team that won gold at the 1983 World University Games in Edmonton, beating the United States in a mammoth upset.
He was inducted into Canada Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993.
Triano comes into the job 1-0. He served as interim head coach for one game last season when Mitchell was away on a family matter. The Raptors defeated the visiting New Jersey Nets 109-91 on Feb. 13.
