Coach Jason Rabedeaux signs extension with Saigon Heat

Coach Jason Rabedeaux has signed a three-year extension with The Saigon Heat.

“The Saigon Heat has provided our team and staff with the rare and remarkable opportunity to continue to build upon our success last year,” said Rabedeaux.

“In Vietnam, we are faced with one of the most unique, challenging and rewarding opportunities in the basketball world. The opportunity to lead a “basketball revolution” for an entire country is an incredible and humbling honor. The passion, enthusiasm, and energy displayed by our fans in Saigon and throughout Vietnam have been absolutely second to none. I look forward to leading the Saigon Heat as we continue to embark upon this amazing journey…now and for many years to come.”

Rabedeaux took over as head coach of the Saigon Heat after the club experienced a 0-7 start. He proceeded to guide the team from the brink of oblivion to within one game of reaching the playoffs. Under his leadership, the Heat won 8 of their final 14 games– the fourth-best record in the ABL during that span.

Coach Jason Rabedeaux has over 20 years of experience coaching overseas professional basketball teams all over the world including assistant and head coach stints in the NCAA as well as the Chinese (CBA) and Japanese (JBL) professional leagues. He was named as Western Athletic Conference Coach of the Year while serving as the head coach of the University of Texas-El Paso. Rabedeaux coached under Kelvin Sampson at the University of Oklahoma and served as Tom Crean’s top assistant at Marquette University. Prior to his arrival in Vietnam, Rabedeaux was the head coach for Al-Manama in the Bahrain Premier League where he lifted both the Bahrain Cup trophy and the Bahrain Super Cup trophy in 2011.

According to the Saigon Heat, the signing of coach Jason Rabedeaux to a long-term contract provides the Saigon Heat franchise continuity and a cornerstone in which to develop the franchise and basketball in Vietnam.

“Coach Jason Rabedeaux’s leadership and experience were integral in turning around the Saigon Heat’s inaugural season,” said General Manager, Connor Nguyen.

“The interest and support for the team was unprecedented and truly a phenomenon far exceeding anyone’s expectations. Coach Rabedeaux will continue to lead the effort to build upon the Saigon Heat’s initial success.”
The Saigon Heat competes in the ASEAN Basketball League against teams from the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Saigon Heat is Vietnam’s first and only international professional basketball team. The Saigon Heat’s mission is to inspire Vietnam to believe it can compete successfully in sports on the international stage. The Saigon Heat will provide leadership in creating a basketball developmental infrastructure for all of Vietnam.