Rob Spon

Last updated
Rob Spon
Personal information
Born1963 (age 6061)
Career information
High schoolHickory (Hermitage, Pennsylvania)
PositionHead coach
Coaching career1995–present
Career history
As coach:
1995–1997 Thiel College
1998–1999 Magic City Snowbears
2000–2001 Saskatchewan Hawks
2005 Youngstown Wildcats
2005Wichita Bombers
2005–2006 Dakota Wizards (asst.)
2006–2007 Indiana Alley Cats (asst.)
2007 Gary Steelheads (asst.)
2008Gary Steelheads
2009 Manchester Millrats
2009 Maryland GreenHawks
20112012 Quebec Kebs
20122013 Halifax Rainmen
20132014 Saint John Mill Rats
2014–2015 Rochester RazorSharks
20152017 Saint John Mill Rats/Riptide
20172018 Cape Breton Highlanders
Career highlights and awards
  • PBL Coach of the Year (2011, 2015)

Robert Spon is an American professional basketball coach, most recently serving as the head coach for the Cape Breton Highlanders of the National Basketball League of Canada (NBL Canada). He has previously led the Rochester RazorSharks, the Halifax Rainmen, [1] Saint John Mill Rats/Riptide, and several other minor league teams in the past. [2] Spon also has experience coaching the Dakota Wizards, Indiana Alleycats, and Pittsburgh Xplosion in the Continental Basketball Association.

Contents

Coaching career

In 2015, Spon led the Rochester RazorSharks to an undefeated season and a Premier Basketball League championship. Following the season, on May 7, he was named head coach of the Saint John Mill Rats, where he had previously served. [3] The Mill Rats' ownership changed in 2016 but retained Spon as coach. The team was then renamed to the Saint John Riptide. After one more season in Saint John, he was then hired for one season by the NBL Canada's Cape Breton Highlanders as their head coach. [4] [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halifax Rainmen</span> Former basketball team in Halifax, Canada

The Halifax Rainmen were a professional basketball team based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. They played in the Atlantic Division of the National Basketball League of Canada (NBL) and their home games took place at the Scotiabank Centre, formerly known as the Halifax Metro Centre. Andre Levingston was the owner of the Rainmen since he helped establish the team in 2006. The team played their first season in the American Basketball Association (ABA). However, after becoming unhappy with the ABA, they moved to the Premier Basketball League (PBL) for the next three seasons. In 2011, they joined the NBL Canada as one of the original seven teams. Despite showing success in the four seasons they spent in the Canadian league, making two Finals appearances, the Rainmen filed for bankruptcy in July 2015. The team was coming off a controversial loss in the 2015 NBL Canada Finals against the Windsor Express and forfeited Game 7 after taking part in a pre-game brawl. The Halifax Hurricanes, with a larger ownership group than the Rainmen's single owner, replaced the Rainmen in NBL Canada for the 2015–16 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olu Famutimi</span> Canadian basketball player

Olumuyiwa "Olu" Famutimi is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Scarborough Shooting Stars of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL). He played college basketball for Arkansas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint John Riptide</span> Canadian professional basketball team based in Saint John, New Brunswick

The Saint John Riptide were a Canadian professional basketball team based in Saint John, New Brunswick, that had home games at Harbour Station. They were a member of the National Basketball League of Canada in the Atlantic Division. The team was one of two professional basketball teams from the province of New Brunswick, the other being the Moncton Magic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Basketball League of Canada</span> Professional basketball league in Canada

The National Basketball League of Canada was a Canadian professional men's minor league basketball organization. The NBL Canada was founded in 2011, when three existing Premier Basketball League teams joined with four new franchises for the league's inaugural season. The league changed in size multiple times and had four active teams in its final season, all in Ontario, but historically the NBLC had several located in the Atlantic provinces. The league's season typically ran from November to April of the following year. The final league champions were the London Lightning, who defeated the Windsor Express 3–2 in the 2023 NBL Finals,

The 2011–12 NBL Canada season was the inaugural season of the National Basketball League of Canada.

The 2013–14 NBL Canada season was the third season of the National Basketball League of Canada. The regular season began on November 1, 2013. The regular season ended on Friday, February 28, 2014, and the playoffs began on Sunday, March 2, 2014 and ended on Thursday, April 17, 2014 with the Windsor Express defeating the Island Storm in seven games to win the 2014 NBLC Finals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cliff Clinkscales</span> American basketball player (born 1984)

Clifford Clinkscales is an American professional basketball assistant coach for the KW Titans of the National Basketball League of Canada and a former player. A 6-foot-1-inch (1.85 m) point guard, Clinkscales began playing professionally in 2008, with two seasons in the NBA Development League. He spent most of his professional career in NBL Canada, playing from 2013 to 2020 in Halifax for the Rainmen and the Hurricanes. With the Halifax Hurricanes, he set the record for the most career assists in NBL Canada history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Anderson (basketball)</span> American basketball player (1981-)

Anthony Nathaniel Anderson, also known by his initials as Double A, is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Moncton Magic of the National Basketball League of Canada (NBL). Standing 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m), he plays the point guard position. Anderson has played in the NBL Canada with the Riptide and Mill Rats for nearly six seasons. As of February 2016, he is the league's all-time leading scorer and is known as one of its most prominent players. Anderson also played for Saint John and their previous incarnation, the Manchester Millrats, in the Premier Basketball League (PBL) and the American Basketball Association (ABA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015–16 NBL Canada season</span> Sports season

The 2015–16 NBL Canada season was the fifth season of the National Basketball League of Canada (NBLC). The regular season began on December 26, 2015 and concluded on April 30, 2016. There were 40 total games played by each team, eight more than the previous year. The new expansion Niagara River Lions team are competing in their first season. The Halifax Hurricanes also began play, replacing the defunct Halifax Rainmen. During the offseason, the Mississauga Power folded to make way for Raptors 905 of the NBA Development League. Prior to the season, the league also enforced new policies to help improve its standard, including rules regarding sportsmanship, addressing the brawl that ended the 2015 NBL Canada Finals. The first regular season game featured the Island Storm and the Saint John Mill Rats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andre Levingston</span> American entrepreneur and basketball coach

Andre Levingston is an American entrepreneur and basketball coach. He was formerly an auto detailer and schoolteacher. He is a co-founder of the National Basketball League of Canada (NBL) and most recently served as the owner and president of the Halifax Rainmen. Levingston has experience as the president of the Premier Basketball League (PBL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Crookshank</span> American professional basketball player

Eric Lamont Crookshank is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Saint John Mill Rats of the National Basketball League of Canada (NBL). He was previously known as one of the most prominent members of the Halifax Rainmen, who played in the Canadian league as well as the Premier Basketball League (PBL) and the American Basketball Association (ABA). After announcing retirement in 2012 with the Rainmen, he became the first NBL Canada player to have his jersey retired. However, he returned to the league in 2013, when he started competing for the Mill Rats. Since joining the Rainmen, Crookshank is often nicknamed "Air Canada" due to his slam dunking capabilities.

Julian King is an American retired professional basketball player who most recently was the head coach for the Saint John Mill Rats of the National Basketball League of Canada (NBL). He played at the collegiate level with Temple and Coppin State after graduating Dodge County High School. As a pro player, King has experience competing in various minor leagues across the United States, multiple NBA camps, and in countries such as Mexico, Germany, Switzerland, Paraguay, and Argentina. He is currently a trainer based in Bethesda, Maryland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape Breton Highlanders (basketball)</span> Basketball team in Sydney, Canada

The Cape Breton Highlanders were a Canadian professional basketball team based in Sydney, Nova Scotia. They were granted a hiatus from the National Basketball League of Canada for the 2019–20 season, but have no schedule to return.

Douglas Herring Jr. is an American-born naturalised Syrian professional basketball player for the Vancouver Bandits of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL). He played college basketball for Utica College.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Stover</span> American basketball player

Anthony Thomas Stover is an American professional basketball player.

The 2016–17 NBL Canada season was the sixth season of the National Basketball League of Canada (NBLC).

The 2017–18 NBL Canada season is the seventh season of the National Basketball League of Canada (NBLC). The regular season ran November 18, 2017 to April 2, 2018.

The 2018–19 NBL Canada season is the eighth season of the National Basketball League of Canada. The regular season ran from November 15, 2018, to March 31, 2019.

The 2019–20 NBL Canada season was the ninth season of the National Basketball League of Canada. The regular season was supposed to run from December 26, 2019, to April 23, 2020. However, on March 12, the season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada.

Christian "T-Bear" Upshaw is a former Canadian professional basketball player who played two seasons in the National Basketball League of Canada (NBL) and one season in the American Basketball Association (ABA).

References

  1. "Robert Spon Named Head Coach of Halifax Rainmen". Court-Side.com. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
  2. "Mill Rats Return Rob Spon". OurSportsCentral.com. 5 February 2008. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
  3. "Mill Rats Return Championship Coach". MillRatsBasketball.ca. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
  4. "Cape Breton Highlanders announce Rob Spon as head coach". Localxpress.ca. 18 July 2017.
  5. "Fitz-Gonzalez named Highlanders coach". The Chronicle Herald . September 24, 2018.