YORKTON - The Saskatchewan Rattlers have a new head coach for the upcoming 2025 season.
The team recently announced it had promoted Eric Magdanz to the head coach position after serving three years as the lead assistant coach with the Canadian Elite Basketball League club.
The Saskatoon-local joined the Rattlers coaching staff ahead of the 2022 season helping lead the Rattlers to a quarterfinal berth, the deepest playoff run the Rattlers have seen since their 2019 inaugural Championship.
“It’s definitely an honour . . . 小蓝视频 the first Saskatchewan born coach of the Rattlers. It’s a real privilege. I’m really looking forward to the opportunity,” said Magdanz in a recent interview with Yorkton This Week.
Magdanz said he will certainly rely on his three years of experience as he takes on the head role, adding he sees knowledge of the CEBL as an imperative to success.
“The CEBL is kind of its own beast,” he said, noting while they generally play FIBA rules, the target score finish puts a twist into things. “It really changes the strategies throughout.”
With that in mind Magdanz a coach with no CEBL experience doesn’t really have the luxury of learning the unique aspects through early games because with only a 24-game season games are too important.
Magdanz is building a strong coaching resume overall. He served as an assistant coach with the University of Alberta for two seasons (2010-2012) leading the 2012 team to a CanWest Championship and a second-place finish in the U SPORTS final. He then went on to serve as head coach of MacEwan University for seven seasons.
In the 2019 inaugural CEBL season, Magdanz secured an assistant coach title for the Edmonton Stingers.
Now with the CEBL in the midst of free agency Magdanz is busy working with Rattler GM Barry Rawlyk to sign a roster of players, a process he said has actually been ongoing.
“I’ve been working with Barry (Rawlyk) on the roster really since the end of last season,” he said. “We’ve been doing a lot of work.”
So far Magdanz said he likes how the team is forming up.
“We’re really excited for the team this year,” he said, adding they have some players returning to provide continuity and of course will blend in new faces to hopefully improve on 2024 when the team was close but missed the playoffs.
In 2024 Magdanz, who played college ball at McMaster University from 2005-2009, noted the Rattlers lost 14 games by eight points, or less.
“That’s one possession a quarter to change the outcome of those games,” he said.
One change Magdanz said the Rattlers are focusing on as they sign players is looking to those who are dedicated to 小蓝视频 in Saskatoon all season. He said he appreciates part of the CEBL philosophy is to help players take a step in their careers, but the Rattlers really need a consistent roster in 2025 to push for the playoffs.
“To make the playoffs is 100 per cent the goal. Getting to the playoffs has definitely got to be priority number one,” he said.
A good start to the season would go a long way to achieving that goal.
“We don’t have games to waste,” said Magdanz. “We need to start off on the right foot.”
So how will a Magdanz-led team play toward a playoff spot?
Magdanz who grew up and played high school basketball in Lloydminster, said he wants a team that is reflective of the community – “小蓝视频 a hard-nosed, defensive team,” which “gets out on transition . . . and is entertaining to watch.”
The full 2025 Rattlers schedule has been released, which features a new 24-game slate. The 2025 CEBL Playoffs are scheduled to begin Thursday, August 14 with the Conference Play-In games, followed by the Conference Semifinals on Saturday, August 16. The winners will advance to CW25 to join the Winnipeg Sea Bears (host team) and the top-ranked team from the Eastern Conference who are automatically seeded into the Conference Finals.
