Jermaine Small (born 16 December 1982) is a Canadian professional basketball coach who currently serves as the head coach of the Montreal Alliance.

Jermaine Small
Montreal Alliance
PositionHead coach
LeagueCEBL
Personal information
Born (1982-12-16) 16 December 1982 (age 43)[1]
Career information
High schoolEastern High School of Commerce (Toronto)
CollegeVanier College
Houghton College
Career history
Coaching
2011-2015Ryerson University (assistant)
2015-2019Queen's University in Kingston (assistant)
2019-2022Edmonton Stingers
2020-2023University of Lethbridge Pronghorns
2025-presentMontreal Alliance
Career highlights
  • CEBL Champion (2020, 2021)

Early life

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Small is a native of Toronto, Canada and attended Milne Valley Public School in Toronto.[2][3] He later played basketball at Eastern High School of Commerce in Toronto.

After his graduation from Eastern High School of Commerce, Small attended Vanier College in Montreal and transferred after one year to Houghton College in New York state.[3] He graduated with a degree in Physical Education from Houghton College.[4]

Coaching career

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In 2011, Small began coaching in Canadian universities. First starting as an assistant coach at Ryerson University.[3]

He later became an assistant coach for four years at Queen's University in Kingston.[3][5]

In 2019, Small became head coach of the Edmonton Stingers, taking over just eight games into the team's inaugural season.[2]

In March 2020, Small was named as head coach of the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns, becoming the 13th coach in program history.[4][6][7][8] He was later replaced by Kenny Otieno in March 2023, who became the team’s 14th coach all-time.[9]

Small was head coach of the Edmonton Stingers for four seasons, leading the Stingers to championships in 2020 and 2021 and three consecutive finals appearances.[10] Additionally, he was named Coach of the Year while with the Stingers.[4] With the Stingers, he coached and mentored three-time CEBL Most Valuable Player Xavier Moon, who later reached the NBA.[4] He represented the Stingers as general manager and head coach of the Stingers team at the Basketball Champions League of Americas after their 2021 CEBL championship.[11] In November 2022, it was announced that Small would not be returning to the Stingers in order to focus full-time on his head coaching role at the University of Lethbridge.[12]

On 27 January 2025, Small was hired as the new head coach of the Montreal Alliance.[10][13][14]

On 18 May 2025, the Alliance opened the season with a 88–66 win over the Brampton Honey Badgers, giving Small his first win as Montreal's head coach.[15]

In 2026, Small entered his second season as head coach of the Alliance.[16]

References

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  1. "Jermaine Small () - Basketball Stats, Height, Age". FIBA Basketball. Retrieved 5 June 2026.
  2. 1 2 "Edmonton Stingers Re-Sign Small To A Two-Year Deal". Canadian Elite Basketball League. 6 January 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Married to the Game: The Jermaine Small Story". Canadian Elite Basketball League. 7 March 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Jermaine Small - Head Coach". Montreal Alliance. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
  5. "Jermaine Small - Basketball (M) Coach". Queen's University Athletics. Retrieved 2026-07-07.
  6. "Small to guide new era of Pronghorn hoops". University of Lethbridge Athletics. 2025-02-22. Retrieved 2026-07-07.
  7. Goulet, Justin. "New coach for Pronghorns men's basketball team". Lethbridge News Now. Retrieved 2026-07-07.
  8. "Jermaine Small - Men's Basketball Head Coach - Men's Basketball Coaches". University of Lethbridge Athletics. Retrieved 2026-07-07.
  9. Thorington, Olivia. "Kenny Otieno named new head coach of Pronghorns men's basketball team". Lethbridge News Now. Retrieved 2026-07-07.
  10. 1 2 "CEBL's All-Time Winningest Head Coach Small Hired by Alliance". Canadian Elite Basketball League. 27 January 2025. Retrieved 5 June 2026.
  11. "Jermaine Small will serve as General Manager and Head Coach of the Stingers BCLA team". www.fiba.basketball. 2021-11-10. Retrieved 2026-07-07.
  12. "Edmonton Stingers Announce Jermaine Small Will Not Be Returning". Archived from the original on 2023-03-08. Retrieved 2026-07-07.
  13. "Alliance Names Jermaine Small Head Coach with Historic Two-Year Deal". Montreal Alliance. 27 January 2025. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
  14. Gentile, Adriana (2025-05-16). "New coach, new era: Jermaine Small leads Montreal Alliance into promising season". CityNews Montreal. Retrieved 2026-07-07.
  15. Ikeda, Teru (18 May 2025). "Commanding Wire-To-Wire Victory for Montreal in Season Opener". Canadian Elite Basketball League. Retrieved 5 June 2026.
  16. "Alliance Announce Coaching and Support Staff for 2026 Season". CEBL. 29 April 2026. Retrieved 7 July 2026.