Barry Rawlyk (pictured) is ready for C-E-B-L free agency at the start of next month. By extension, that means the Saskatchewan Rattlers are ready for the free agency period to begin after the original C-E-B-L franchise announced Wednesday that Rawlyk has had his contract extended for 2025.
The Saskatoon product is going into his sixth year as Snakes G-M, and seventh with the team overall after serving as the lead assistant coach for the 2019 inaugural C-E-B-L championship season. Rawlyk was head coach of the U of S men’s basketball program from 2011 through March, 2022. Prior to that, Rawlyk spent over two decades coaching at Holy Cross High School, leading the Crusaders to 11 City Championships as well as three Provincial Championships. The 2025 C-E-B-L season starts May 15 at SaskTel Centre for the Rattlers as they host the Vancouver Bandits. Following is the news release from the Rattlers…..
Rattlers Extend Rawlyk for Seventh Season
Saskatoon, Sask. – The Saskatchewan Rattlers of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced that Barry Rawlyk will return as General Manager and Vice-President of Basketball Operations for his seventh season with the team. The Rattlers are working on assembling their roster ahead of 2025 CEBL Free Agency under Rawlyk’s leadership while utilizing his connections in the basketball world.
“We are excited to extend Barry Rawlyk’s contract. He has an unbelievable knack for finding amazing talent both on the Canadian front and on the intricate import player side,” said Rattlers President, Lee Genier. “He plays an integral role in the management and success of the team as we continue to grow. We saw incredible talent come through the Rattlers organization in 2024 with record setting results, and we look forward to taking the next step in 2025.”
Rawlyk celebrates his sixth year as General Manager, and seventh with the team after serving as the lead assistant coach and recruitment of the roster during the 2019 Championship season. Over the last three seasons, Rawlyk was instrumental in securing some of the best talent in the league with Tony Carr, Justin Wright-Foreman, and Jalen Harris.
Rawlyk served as the eighth head coach in University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s basketball history, holding multiple program records. He took the helm in an interim position in the 2010-11 season. In May 2012, he was officially named head coach of the men’s basketball program. During the 2010-11 season, Rawlyk led the Huskies to a fourth-place finish at the CIS (now U SPORTS) Championship and a second-place finish in Canada West. The following season, the team finished in first in their conference and hosted the Canada West Final Four for the first time in the program’s history. Prior to joining the Huskies, Rawlyk spent over two decades coaching with Holy Cross High School in Saskatoon. During his time with the Crusaders, he led them to 11 City Championships as well as three Provincial Championships.
“It is a privilege to remain with the Rattlers for 2025. The opportunity to work with Rattlers President Lee Genier and the rest of the staff, as we work to build the Rattlers brand will be both exciting and rewarding,” said Rawlyk. “We have a blueprint in place for building a roster that will compete in a very challenging environment and give our fans a lot to be excited about.”
Canadian Elite Basketball League free agency opens February 1, 2025 with player announcements to follow.
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. The full playoff schedule with tipoff times will be announced at a later date.
