Charles Kissi McMaster Marauders NBA Raptors Nighthawks

Men's Basketball 6/9/2020 10:08:00 AM Kelsea O'Brien

FROM MCMASTER TO THE NBA, CHARLES KISSI LEAVES A FOOTPRINT EVERYWHERE HE GOES

by Kelsea O'Brien

TORONTO, Ont. - Professional basketball wasn't the career that Charles Kissi expected to pursue when he applied to McMaster University, or when he graduated in 2003 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. He liked Hamilton, he was born in Hamilton, and his sister lived in Hamilton. He had followed McMaster's basketball team, and appreciated the diversity of their campus. As a young kid looking to get out of the big city, it was the perfect fit. The relationships he developed at McMaster, like everywhere Kissi goes, became long lasting. He is still in a McMaster group chat, 17 years after graduating.

When he joined the Toronto police force on December 10th, 2003, the words "You're not going to do this forever" uttered by McMaster's winningest basketball coach, Joe Raso, had not yet crept into the forefront of his mind. Forever a planner, Kissi felt comfortable; he had a stable career, and basketball was now no more than a hobby.

He still coached in his very limited free time. First with the grade 9 girls of the Scarborough Basketball Association, and later with the Ryerson Women's team. The heavier the weight of working full time as a police officer and a basketball coach became, the more coach Raso's words, began, unshakably, to roll around in Kissi's mind.

When presented with the opportunity to begin a mentorship with the then-head coach of the Toronto Raptors, Dwane Casey, Raso's words became impossible to drown out. The Toronto Raptors coaches open house, which continues annually, was in its infancy, and Kissi was chosen as the very first mentee of the program.

Charles Kissi had to make a decision; stay in the job that provided stability, but was burning him out both mentally and physically, or take a leap of faith into an unknown that had always been a passion for him? 2013 was the year that coach Kissi began the next step of his journey, applying for a U SPORTS coaching job that he ultimately didn't receive. On the way home from his interview, another door opened, this time in the form of a phone call informing him of an opening as the head coach of the Brock University Men's basketball team. He applied, he waited, and 10 years to the day of becoming a police officer, Charles Kissi resigned.

In his five years as head coach of the Brock Badgers, Kissi led the team to three consecutive playoff appearances before taking a year off to join the Toronto Raptors and their G-League affiliate, Raptors 905. When Toronto Raptors assistant coach Jama Mahlalela was awarded the head coaching position with the 905, there was no better candidate to lead his coaching staff than high school friend and opponent, Charles Kissi. The two had kept in contact from high school all the way up to Kissi's mentorship under Casey, and both shared a common goal: Developing players into strong, independent men first, and basketball players second.

"They know the x's and o's of the game, otherwise they wouldn't be here," says Kissi "Our job is to give them the tools they need and the opportunities to succeed outside of basketball."

A picture sits on the desk of Kissi's home office, in it are nine young women whom Kissi coached with the Scarborough Basketball Association. One of them is Wumi Agunbiade, former University of Pittsburgh and overseas basketball star. Kissi had followed Agunbiade's journey, from her time in Scarborough to her European career. A chance run-in between the two in South Korea had Charles convince Wumi to apply for a coaching position with the 905, and after successfully interviewing, the two were reunited, this time, both would be on the bench together.

Advocating for coach Wumi and assisting her in the next step of her journey is only one example of Kissi's unique approach to coaching and hiring. The recipient of the OUA's Liam Stevens award during his time at McMaster, an award given to an athlete who best exemplifies a positive attitude, hard work, and determination, Kissi has made it a point to take those who he believes in under his wing, and setting them up for future success.

Returning to the Guelph Nighthawks for his second season as both head coach and general manager, Kissi has brought Wumi Agunbiade and Arsalan Jamil on to his coaching staff because he believes in them, the same way Jama Mahlalela believed in him.

Charles Kissi is a phenomenal coach on the court, if you ask any of his players or coworkers. It is what he does off the court that puts him in a league of his own.

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