Marauders basketball coach Sheldon Cassimy returns to elite league

Veteran Marauders basketball assistant coach Sheldon Cassimy returns as the Brantford Honey Badgers head coach for a second year

On Tuesday, Mar. 11, 2025, the Brantford Honey Badgers announced that their head coach, Sheldon Cassimy, will return for another season. Cassimy also serves as the assistant head coach for the Marauders men's basketball team.

The Honey Badgers are one of 10 teams in the Canadian Elite Basketball League, a men’s professional basketball league in Canada.

While Cassimy appreciates the Honey Badgers bringing him back, he understands there is still work to be done.

“The re-signing was great and I’m grateful for that, but I’m more so focused on taking care of business. The jitters and excitement might hit me once training camp starts, but I’m pretty even-keeled right now,” said Cassimy.

Cassimy has been coaching basketball since he was 19. He started as a coach for a church league, working his way up the ladder. Last March, he was announced as the new head coach for the Brantford Honey Badgers.

Despite finishing his first year with more losses than wins, Cassimy told The Silhouette that he learned valuable skills.

“From that first season, I really learned how important communication was and how to communicate better, whether it be with your players or coaching staff. It’s something I am consciously trying to get better at and I hope it can help us develop better team chemistry,” said Cassimy.

In addition to coaching the Badgers, Cassimy has served as the assistant head coach for the Marauders men's basketball team for the past four years.

“It’s been great coaching the Marauders. Being able to help and mentor these players to hopefully be pros is great and I enjoy it,” said Cassimy.

The Marauders did not finish where they wanted to last season, ending with six wins and 16 losses and missing the OUA playoffs. Still, Cassimy believes there is a lot to take away from the season.

“I feel like from the Marauder season, I’m able to learn and get better through different experiences. And I’m excited to try out different things. Whether it be new terminology, different schemes, or trying things out in practice, I'm excited to implement what I learned with the Marauders for next season with the Badgers,” said Cassimy.

Cassimy acknowledged the difficulty of coaching two separate teams. Due to his responsibilities with the Honey Badgers, he is unable to be as active as he wants to be during the Marauders’ summer training camps. Still, he praised his coaching staff for making it easier to balance both positions.

“I’m lucky to work with a great coach, Patrick Tatum, who wants his assistant head coaches to continue to grow. He makes it easy for me to do both jobs. I think being a part of the CEBL and coaching the Honey Badgers helps enhance the Marauders team. Both positions work hand-in-hand for me,” said Cassimy.

The Badgers' CEBL season will begin on May 18, 2025, when they take on the Montréal Alliance.