Trojans add former NBA coach to staff

Troy recently hired its newest assistant coach for men’s basketball, Kaleb Canales. Previously, he coached the Calgary Surge in Canada and many NBA teams over the course of 10 years.   

This will be Canales’ first time coaching collegiate basketball since 2004. His last collegiate gig was at UT Arlington, where he and Troy head coach Scott Cross were both assistant coaches. 

“I think basketball is basketball, and I think a lot of it, we’re starting to see a lot of offensive and defensive concepts carry over from the NBA to here,” Canales said. “I think they’re still far apart, but I think this is the closest the NBA and college have ever been.” 

Canales has spent the majority of his career coaching in the NBA.  He has spent time with five NBA teams -- the Portland Trailblazers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks and Orlando Magic. During his tenure with those teams, he has coached greats like Dirk Nowitzki and Damian Lillard. 

“They’ve made me better, and it was great coaching them, but in a lot of ways they challenged me,” Canales said. “I think that's something that’ll help me pour into our program and our players as well.” 

Canales decided to come to Troy because of his long-standing relationship with Cross. Canales said he had seen what Coach Cross has done with the program and knew he wanted to be a part of it.  

“I have a lot of respect and love for him, and he was a big reason why I came to Troy,” Canales said. “I’ve followed the program ever since he’s been here, and I’m really impressed by not only the culture he’s built, but the culture he has sustained.  

“That's a really unique and difficult challenge, and I’m just here to be a part of the team and continue to help the team succeed.” 

The Trojans won the Sun Belt Conference Tournament last season and made their way to March Madness for the first time since 2017. The expectations for the Trojans are through the roof this season, and Canales believes he can help the team maintain this momentum. 

“I mean that’s what we play for, right?” Canales said. “When you come into a program that’s had success and that’s the standard as a coach, I love that challenge. 

“It’s a tough league to win, but it’s exciting to come to a successful program.”