Langis returns as coach and GM
KITCHENER — Serge Langis just wants to focus on basketball.
The return of the KitchenerWaterloo Titans coach was officially announced by the beleaguered National Basketball League of Canada franchise after an off-season full of turmoil that left many fans wondering if the team was even going to be back.
The club had been silent since turfing general manager Stu Julius about three months back after wrapping up their inaugural season at the Aud.
But Friday the team issued a news release declaring Langis back as skipper while adding GM to his title.
“It has been a long process,” said Langis, via phone from his home in Moncton, N.B. “I was always on standby to see what was going to happen. I’m just thrilled and honoured that the owners see what I’m trying to do and welcomed me back to do it.”
What happened isn’t totally clear. This we know, the Titans spent the past three months restructuring the franchise while trying to get a better rental agreement at the Aud.
When the dust settled, it was decided that majority owner Ball Construction and minority owner Leon Martin, an entrepreneur from Elmira, would run the business side of the club. Fellow owners Brian Foster and Jeff Berg are busy with their company InnoSoft Canada, and will step aside from the day-to-day dealings.
The Titans will play home games on East Avenue, but attempts to get clarification on the rental situation from management were unsuccessful. “It hasn’t been easy for the owners to restructure everything and it hasn’t been easy for me,” said Langis. “The owners are trying to do it the right way. They are learning as they go because they are new at this.”
On the court, it was a fairly successful debut for the Titans.
The team played entertaining ball before healthy crowds and went 18-22 to finish third in the Central Division before being swept by the Windsor Express in the first round of the playoffs.
The sole blemish to the season came in February when the club got caught up in a late-game brawl with the Saint John Riptide. The fight resulted in a dozen players being suspended for a total of 52 games while $13,000 in fines were dished out by the league.
Langis is currently scouring the globe for players. He says two familiar faces are set to return from last year’s squad — as of now — while 10 players have already been signed. Further details are expected to be released soon.
Forward Flenard Whitfield, who averaged a team-high 19 points per game last season, has signed a deal to play in Finland, while point guard Adam Blazek also went overseas to join the pro circuit in Georgia.
Langis has received interest from hundreds of players all over the world but is looking to add character to his bench.
“All the players are talented and have skills but what separates guys from others is who they are,” he said. “It matters to me how you react to different situations and behave when going through losing and winning streaks. It goes a long way in building this thing the right way.”
The NBL used to kick off on Boxing Day but will run from mid-November until early April. The schedule is not yet released.