The Ottawa BlackJacks of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Monday, January 15, 2024 the promotion of James Derouin to the dual role of General Manager and Head Coach for the Ottawa BlackJacks. Derouin has served as BlackJacks Head Coach since June 5, 2022.

After guiding the BlackJacks to a franchise-best 12 wins in 2023, including an eight-game win streak – the second longest in league history, Derouin is set to assume increased responsibilities in 2024. He will lead the development of a comprehensive strategy for the team's basketball operations, with duties extending to players and personnel recruitment in preparation for the BlackJacks’ fifth CEBL season. Collaborating closely with Shepherd, Derouin will also continue his tenure as the team's head coach for the third consecutive season.

Derouin made his professional coaching debut with the BlackJacks on June 5, 2022, taking away the victory (86-85) against the Newfoundland Growlers. After steering Ottawa to a strong finish, winning five of the final six regular-season home games that season, Derouin re-signed as the Head Coach for the 2023 season in December 2022.

An Ottawa native, Derouin has played a key leadership role in the BlackJacks basketball operations department since February 1, 2021, where he has been working alongside Vice-President of Basketball Operations Jevohn Shepherd on player analysis and scouting.

With an impressive career regular season record of 201-60 (.770), Derouin solidifies his status as the most successful coach in Gee-Gees men's basketball history. He remains at the helm of the University of Ottawa men’s basketball team, currently ranked second in the country.

In 2015, Derouin joined the coaching staff of Canada Basketball's cadet national team as an assistant, winning silver at the FIBA Americas tournament. Derouin helped guide Canada to a 6-1 record and a fifth-place finish at the 2016 U17 FIBA World Championships.

The University of Ottawa basketball alumnus started playing basketball for Gloucester High School and the Gloucester Wolverines. He won a CCAA national championship with Langara College before transferring to the University of Ottawa, where he served as the team captain from 2000-2002.

Derouin’s coaching career started right after graduating from university, when he became the assistant coach for the team he was playing for, the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees. Six years later, he moved to the west to become the assistant coach for the University of British Columbia men’s basketball team, earning a spot in the U SPORTS national final two seasons in a row, before coming back to his hometown to fill Ottawa’s head coach position.

Derouin and his wife, Jenna, have two sons, Callum and Nolan.