Kaleb Canales Is Heading to Weber State, and That NBA Resume Is No Joke
Weber State just landed a coach with serious NBA pedigree. Multiple sources told ESPN that Kaleb Canales is taking over as the Wildcats' next head coach, and this hire comes with some real credibility attached to it. We're talking 15 years as an NBA assistant coach, which in college hoops circles is a big deal.
The NBA Veteran Move
Canales spent five years with the Portland Trail Blazers from 2008 to 2013, and he even had a turn as interim head coach there in 2012. That's not just resume filler. He's also worked on the staffs of the Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, Indiana Pacers, and Orlando Magic. So this guy has seen championship-level operations and knows what winning looks like at the highest level.
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👉 Claim Your Free $10 at KalshiHere's where it gets interesting: during his time with the Blazers, Canales actually overlapped with Damian Lillard, the Weber State legend who now runs the show as the general manager of the Wildcats' men's basketball program. That connection matters. When you're hiring a coach, having someone at the top who knows and trusts your guy is huge.
International and G League Experience Round Out the Picture
Canales isn't just an NBA guy. He's got coaching experience all over the map: assistant coach for the Mexican national team, G League work with the Texas Legends, and time in the CEBL with the Calgary Surge. Most recently, he was the associate head coach under Scott Cross at Troy, where the team made the NCAA tournament this season. That's not a bad ending note before taking a college head coach job.
He's replacing Eric Duft, who spent four seasons as the Wildcats' head coach before transitioning into a new role as the president of basketball operations and development for the program. Duft's moving up the ladder instead of out, which shows some stability in the organization.
Canales brings legitimacy and connections to Weber State. Let's see if he can build something special in Ogden.
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