Canalin joined the Lewis and Clark coaching staff in the summer of 2024 and brings 22 seasons of coaching experience to the program.
In his first season with the program, Canalin helped guide Lewis and Clark to its first Northwest Conference Tournament title since 2002. The Pioneers returned to the NWC Tournament for the first time in a decade after posting a 9-7 conference record. As the No. 4 seed, Lewis and Clark upset top-seeded and host Whitworth University, 71-64, to snap the Pirates’ 20-year streak of reaching the NWC championship game. Men’s basketball then defeated No. 3 Whitman College, 70-57, in the title game to become just the second four-seed in NWC men’s basketball history to claim the conference championship.
Canalin has coached extensively in high school and travel basketball, spending much of his career as a varsity head coach or varsity assistant coach. His varsity experience includes stops at Encinal High School in Alameda, California, from 2009 to 2015, and Ida B. Wells High School in Portland from 2022 to 2024. He has also coached with numerous club programs in the Oakland, California, and Beaverton and Portland areas. From 2017 to 2024, Canalin made a significant impact with Deny Basketball, where he led player development and focused on integrating individual skills into team concepts. He emphasizes teaching the game and allowing players to make the plays.
Outside of coaching, Canalin has experience in the apparel printing industry and currently works for Shirts and Skins Basketball, a basketball lifestyle apparel and uniform company based in Tualatin, Oregon. He oversees the company’s art and design efforts, guiding all creative elements of the brand. Originally from Alameda, California, Canalin resides in Portland, Oregon, with his wife and three children.
