Willy Manigat Named Ottawa BlackJacks Director of Regional Scouting

The Ottawa BlackJacks of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Wednesday that Willy Manigat has been named Director of regional scouting.

Born in Montreal and raised in Ottawa, Manigat has been the head coach of the Brock Badgers since 2019, leading his team to a 12-10 regular season record while appearing as high as No. 7 in the country. He will continue to lead the Badgers program during the collegiate season while lending his expertise to the BlackJacks during the CEBL campaign. 

Manigat played four professional seasons overseas and won five U SPORTS national championships as a player and assistant coach with the Carleton University Ravens.

Prior to joining the Badgers, Manigat was the lead assistant for the Carleton Ravens. During his time on the Carleton staff, Manigat won two national titles (2017, 2019), adding to the three championships he won as a player with the team. The Ravens overall record during these three seasons was 119-7.

In addition to his work with the Ravens, Manigat served as associate head coach of Ottawa preparatory school Canada Topflight Academy for three years, where he won back-to-back national championships. This past summer, Manigat was an assistant coach with the Niagara River Lions during the CEBL Summer Series. 

Manigat played professionally from 2012-16, including three years in Morocco and Germany. During the 2014-15 campaign, the point guard averaged 15.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 27.7 minutes for the Bayer Giants of the Germany ProA.

As a collegiate player, Manigat helped the Ravens win two U SPORTS national championships and two OUA titles while being named an OUA East Second Team All-Star and back-to-back Carleton Defensive Player of the Year. In his final season, he averaged 12.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.6 three-pointers, and 1.0 steals per game. The five-foot-11 point guard also played with the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees for two seasons before transferring to Carleton. Throughout his university career, he maintained an average of .415 from behind the arc.

Manigat attended Collège Catholique Samuel-Genest in Ottawa, where he won two city championships, one as a junior and one as a senior.

He has two brothers, Jimmy and Jahenns, and one sister, Rose Windy. Jahenns, an alumnus of Creighton University, played for the Fraser Valley Bandit in the CEBL 2020 Summer Series and spent the 2019-20 season with the DEAC Kosárlabda, one of Europe’s top leagues, Hungary’s Nemzeti Bajnokság I/A.

The CEBL is preparing for its third season in 2021 following the success of this past year's CEBL Summer Series in St. Catharines, Ontario, which saw millions of viewers across Canada and around the world tune in to watch 26 games played over 15 days in a single-site league competition. The CEBL became the first professional sports league in Canada to return to play after the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus in mid-March shut down sports across the country.

Quotes:

“Willy is a very important piece to our puzzle. He has had tremendous success as a player and coach. Our goal is to grow the game in Ottawa and to do that we need qualified, committed and motivated individuals from within the community. We are excited to have Willy’s experience, knowledge and love for the game on board.”

- Jevohn Shepherd

General Manager, Ottawa BlackJacks Basketball Club

“I’m excited to be a part of this organization. Ottawa had been my home for the past 26 years until my appointment as the head coach at Brock University. This is an opportunity to stay connected to a community that is a part of who I am, while being a part of a league that I strongly believe in.”

- Willy Manigat

Director of Regional Scouting , Ottawa BlackJacks Basketball Club

“Willy is a great coach with a strong work ethic. Having played professionally in Europe and won championships in U SPORTS as a player and a coach, he understands the reality of our athletes. He knows the Ottawa community very well and he will play a big role in the team’s success."

- Charles Dubé-Brais

Head Coach, Ottawa BlackJacks Basketball Club

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About the Ottawa BlackJacks

The first expansion franchise of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), the Ottawa BlackJacks will showcase the best of basketball and entertainment in the nation’s capital. In its inaugural campaign, the BlackJacks earned a semifinal appearance at the 2020 CEBL Summer Series. The Ottawa front office brings NBA, NBA G League, NCAA and major international pro league experience to the franchise. Led by general manager Jevohn Shepherd, assistant general manager Andy Rautins and head coach Charles Dubé-Brais, Ottawa will play its home games out of the world-class Arena at TD Place in Lansdowne Park. For more information visit www.theblackjacks.ca.

About Canadian Elite Basketball League

A league created by Canadians for Canadians, the CEBL has the highest percentage of Canadian players of any professional league in the country, with 80 percent of its current rosters being Canadians. Players come from the NBA G League, top international leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. The only First Division Professional League Partner of Canada Basketball, the CEBL season typically runs from May through August. Head to more information on CEBL.ca or follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Linkedin, Facebook & YouTube. (@cebleague)

Social Media

Facebook: /OttawaBlackJacks

Twitter: @Ott_Blackjacks

Instagram: ottawablackjacks

Contact:

Marika Guérin

Manager, Communications and Community

Ottawa BlackJacks Professional Basketball Club

[email protected]