The Fraser Valley Bandits of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Thursday that they have reached a mutual agreement with Head Coach and General Manager Peter Guarasci that his tenure with the team will not be extended for 2020. His contract expired at the conclusion of the 2019 season.

“Our inaugural season fell well short of the expectations that Peter and all of us had for our team. It was difficult on Peter both professionally and personally, and it became apparent that it was in everyone’s best interest to move in different directions for 2020,” said Bandits Vice President Dylan Kular. “I thank Peter for his commitment and contributions to getting the Fraser Valley Bandits up and running this past year. While our performance on the court was highly disappointing, we were well-received across the region and with our fans. We appreciate Peter’s role in helping establish a strong foundation for our organization.”

Guarasci, who played for Team Canada as well as professionally in Italy and Germany in the 1990s and 2000s, was named Head Coach and General Manager by Fraser Valley on January 29, 2019. The Bandits lost their first nine games before recording a season best three game winning streak. They dropped their final six games to finish the season with a 4-16 record.

“I am proud to have served as Head Coach and General Manager of the Fraser Valley Bandits during their inaugural season,” said Guarasci. “We had some highly challenging times and the results obviously were not what we expected. As a resident of Kelowna, it was personally challenging for my family to have me in Abbotsford for four months. While I greatly appreciate the outstanding support of our fans, as well as the opportunity to collaborate with others in the Fraser Valley and across the CEBL, it is best for both myself and the Bandits to move forward in different directions. I look forward to rooting for their future success.”

No timeframe has been announced by the club to have a new Head Coach and General Manager in place. An international search will begin immediately. While the 2020 CEBL regular season schedule will be announced later this fall, the Bandits will open play at the Abbotsford Centre in May. Season tickets are on sale now at www.thebandits.ca and on Ticketmaster.

For more information on the Bandits, follow the team’s journey on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.