TORONTO (April 2, 2026) — Canada Basketball announced Thursday the coaching staff for the 2026 U17 Men’s National Team ahead of the FIBA U17 Men’s Basketball World Cup 2026, set for June 27–July 5 in Istanbul, Türkiye.

Chris Cheng has been named head coach, returning to lead the program after guiding Canada to silver medals at the FIBA U16 Men’s AmeriCup in both 2023 and 2025. Cheng has been involved with Canada Basketball since 2013, holding multiple roles within the men’s high-performance pathway. This will mark his second time leading Canada at the FIBA U17 Men’s Basketball World Cup, following his appearance in 2024.

Currently the head coach of the University of Windsor Lancers, Cheng has led the program to multiple playoff appearances since taking over in 2019. Prior to Windsor, he served as the inaugural head coach at Nipissing University, leading the program to the OUA playoffs in just its third season.

Joining Cheng on the bench are assistant coaches Dan Vanhooren, Brad Campbell and Madhav Trivedi, all of whom return from last summer’s staff.

Vanhooren returns to the national team sidelines following his role as an assistant coach at the FIBA U18 Men’s AmeriCup 2025 and previously at the FIBA U19 Men’s Basketball World Cup 2019. The longtime head coach of the University of Calgary Dinos, Vanhooren has led the program since 2000, capturing five Canada West championships and a U SPORTS national title in 2017–18. He was named U SPORTS Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year in 2018–19.

Campbell, a mainstay of the Western Mustangs men’s basketball program for more than three decades, has served as head coach since 2006 after beginning his coaching tenure in 1995. He has led Western to three U SPORTS Final 8 appearances and four OUA West titles, while also gaining professional experience as an assistant coach with the Guelph Nighthawks during the 2021 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season.

Trivedi, currently the head coach of the University of Toronto Varsity Blues, has led the program to new heights, including semifinal appearances in two of the last three OUA seasons. Prior to his head coaching role with Toronto, he spent eight seasons as an assistant coach in U SPORTS with Toronto, McGill and Queen’s.

The pathway toward international competition will begin with the U17 Men’s National Team Selection Camp fuelled by Gatorade, set for April 3–6 at Humber College in Toronto.

The camp will bring together a targeted group of athletes for evaluation, with selected athletes advancing to a final preparation phase later this summer to compete for a spot on the final roster.

Athletes attending the Selection Camp fuelled by Gatorade will be announced Friday.

U17 Men’s National Team Coaching Staff:

Chris Cheng — Head Coach
Dan Vanhooren — Assistant Coach
Brad Campbell — Assistant Coach
Madhav Trivedi — Assistant Coach