Joe Raso on Coaching Passion, Strategy and Family Values (EP352)

Awesome to welcome legendary Canadian college basketball coach and current Senior Director Sr. Director of Basketball CEBL

Joe Raso is Senior Director of Basketball Operations for the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL). He leads the league's player procurement program both domestically and internationally, oversees the CEBL Draft, directs team and player compliance issues, supervises officiating, and plays a key role in the CEBL's relationships with FIBA, Canada Basketball, other basketball organizations, and player agents.

As a college coach, Raso is the all-time winningest coach in McMaster University history and one of the most successful coaches in Canadian University Sports history, with a record of 389 wins against only 155 losses (a .715 winning percentage) over 18 seasons, including 17 seasons with 20 or more wins. 

Raso's basketball resume includes four OUA titles, 12 CIS National Championship tournament appearances resulting in four Silver medals, and six OUA Coach of the Year awards. He has produced five All Canadian players and two National Player of the Year winners while leading McMaster.

Raso has been a national and international consultant, clinician, committee member, speaker, and basketball analyst for the past 25 years. A former National team assistant coach, he has coached in World Championships and Olympic qualifiers, working with some of Canada's greatest players, including NBA two-time Most Valuable Player and Hall of Fame inductee Steve Nash. He has also served as Head Scout with the Canadian Men's National team and is an advance scout with the NBA's Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, and Denver Nuggets.

Raso has been instrumental in developing basketball at the grassroots level in Canada and has served in various roles, including Technical Director with the World International Children's Games, where his Hamilton teams won international Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals. As a high school teacher for 32 years, he coached St. Mary's high school in Hamilton to an OFSAA championship in 1991 and represented Canada at the Albert Schweitzer Tournament in Germany.