NBA

Ryerson Rams basketball coach Roy Rana joining staff of NBA's Kings

Roy Rana is leaving his position as head coach of the Ryerson Rams men's basketball team after 10 years to join the Sacramento Kings coaching staff in the role of chief of staff-assistant coach.

50-year-old guided Canadian university squad to 2 runner-up finishes at nationals

In a decade with the Ryerson Rams men’s basketball team, outgoing head coach Roy Rana made six appearances at the national championship tournament, including back-to-back runner-up finishes in 2017 and 2018. He will soon join the NBA's Sacramento Kings as chief of staff-assistant coach. (Darren Calabrese/Canadian Press)

Roy Rana is leaving his position as head coach of the Ryerson Rams men's basketball team to join the Sacramento Kings coaching staff.

The Rams confirmed in a news release Monday that Rana accepted the role of chief of staff-assistant coach with the NBA club. He will join a coaching staff led by former Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton, who in April took over for the fired Dave Joerger.

Rana, 50, joined the Rams in 2009. In a decade with the U Sports team, he led the team to six appearances at the national championship tournament, including back-to-back runner-up finishes in 2017 and 2018.

The England-born, Toronto-raised Rana has extensive experience with Canada's national program and coached a team led by R.J.Barrett to gold at the 2017 FIBA Under-19 World Cup, the first world title for the nation at any level.

"We are thrilled for coach Rana," Ryerson said in a statement. "His appointment to the Kings organization is not only a reflection of his hard work and success at Ryerson, but is also a testament to the quality athletic programming at our university."

The Kings finished ninth in the Western Conference standings in 2018-19, nine games out of a playoff spot.