TORONTO (August 1, 2025) — Canada Basketball announced Thursday that Dave Smart has been named head coach of Canada’s U23 Men’s National Team for GLOBL JAM 2025.

Widely regarded as one of the most successful Canadian college basketball coaches of all time, Smart returns to the Canadian sidelines for the first time since moving to the NCAA ranks — marking a homecoming both for the national team and for a coach whose impact on Canadian basketball spans decades.

“It’s an incredible honour to return to a head coaching role with the national team,” said Smart. “I’ve always felt a strong connection to this age group — working with college athletes and helping them grow as competitors and people is where I feel most at home. To do that back on Canadian soil, and at a world-class event like GLOBL JAM, is something I’m looking forward to.”

Smart was named head coach of the University of the Pacific men’s basketball program in March 2024, following a season as assistant coach at Texas Tech. Prior to that, he built one of the most dominant dynasties in Canadian sport, amassing 656 victories and leading Carleton University to an unprecedented 13 U SPORTS national championships over 18 seasons.

“Having Dave return to the Canadian coaching ranks is a huge win for our program,” said Rowan Barrett, General Manager and Executive Vice-President, Men’s High-Performance. “His track record speaks for itself — he knows how to build winning teams, develop young talent, and compete at the highest levels.”

In addition to his storied university career, Smart helped guide Canada’s Senior Men’s National Team to a bronze medal at the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship and an undefeated run at the 2013 Four Nations International Invitational Tournament.

This summer, he will look to lead Canada’s U23 men to their first GLOBL JAM title after a silver-medal finish in 2023.

The tournament will run August 13–17 at TMU’s Mattamy Athletic Centre. Single session tickets are on sale now at globljam.ca, starting at less than $21 per game.

Both the men’s and women’s U23 national teams will take shape from a strong pool of invited athletes, with final rosters to be confirmed ahead of the tournament. Open tryouts will also be hosted in the coming weeks, offering additional athletes the opportunity to earn a spot. Further details will be announced soon.

For more information on Canada Basketball and GLOBL JAM, visit globljam.ca.