Canada shooting guard Jahvon Henry-Blair, right, and guard Aaron Best celebrate their win over Mexico with fans following FIBA Men's AmeriCup 2025 Qualifiers in Saskatoon, Sask., Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. Canada defeated Mexico 83-73. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Liam Richards

By The Canadian Press

Mitchell steps in to guide Canada’s men’s basketball team for World Cup qualifiers

Nov 24, 2025 | 12:23 PM

TORONTO — Nathaniel Mitchell will return as head coach of the Canadian men’s senior basketball team for the opening qualifying window of the 2027 FIBA Men’s World Cup.

Basketball Canada announced its coaching plans in a release on Monday. Mitchell fills in for Canada head coach Gordie Herbert, who is currently coaching defending champion Bayern Munich in Germany’s Basketball Bundesliga.

Canada will face the Bahamas in two games, on Friday in Nassau and Dec. 1 in Toronto.

Mitchell led Canada to a fourth-place finish at the FIBA Men’s AmeriCup 2025.

He was also an assistant on Jordi Fernandez’s staff when Canada beat the United States for bronze at the 2023 World Cup.

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Assistant coaches JD Jackson, Hanno Mottola and Phil Jevtovic were also named to Canada’s staff.

“I’m truly grateful and honoured for another opportunity to represent our country,” Mitchell said in a release. “Going into this next quad under the leadership and guidance of Gordie Herbert, our expectations are obviously to continue growing and to win.

“Qualifying for the World Cup is the most important thing, and in order to do that, we have to compete and win every game we play.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 24, 2025.

The Canadian Press