Kaleb Canales is running an NCAA Division I men’s basketball program now.

The Laredo native was recently hired as the new head coach at Weber State.

Nicknamed the Wildcats, Weber State is an NCAA Division I basketball program that competes in the Big Sky Conference. Canales will replace Eric Duft, who compiled a record of 66-65 from 2022-2026 at Weber State, including 16-16 this past season. Duft is still with the program and has been transitioned into a new role as the president of basketball operations and development.

Weber State hasn’t made the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament since 2016.

Over his 25-year coaching career, Canales has had two head coaching opportunities prior to Weber State, but both came with associate or interim tags.

His most recent head coaching role was as an associate head coach under Scott Cross at Troy from 2025-26, and before that, it was when he was the interim head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers for the final 23 games of the 2011-12 NBA season. When he was promoted to interim head coach on March 15, 2012, Canales became the youngest active head coach in the NBA and the first Mexican-American coach in NBA history. Portland would eventually hire Terry Stotts, but Canales remained an assistant coach.

Canales’ coaching career goes all the way back to 2001 as an assistant at Martin High School in Laredo. It was a quick rise through the ranks for Canales, who spent 2001-2003 at Martin and United high schools and 2003-04 at the University of Texas at Arlington as an assistant.

From 2005-12, Canales was with the Trail Blazers. He started as a video intern and was promoted to an assistant coach in 2009, a role he held until 2013. Not only was Canales the interim head coach in 2012, but he also served as Portland’s head coach during the 2010 NBA Summer League.

Coincidentally, Canales was with the Trail Blazers during the same time as star guard Damian Lillard, who played at Weber State.

Following his time in Portland, Canales remained on NBA sidelines until 2023. He held assistant positions with the Dallas Mavericks from 2013-18, the Indiana Pacers from 2020-21 and the Orlando Magic from 2021-23.

Canales also has experience as an assistant coach for the Mexican national team (2021), in the NBA G League with the Texas Legends (2023-25) and in the Canadian Elite Basketball League with the Calgary Surge (2025).