The Bristol Flyers have announced the return of long-time fan favourite Marcus Delpeche to the south-west ahead of the 2025/26 season.
The 29-year old forward, who first joined the Flyers in 2018, has returned for a second spell with the club on an initial one-year contract.
Delpeche made 86 appearances for the Flyers between 2018-21, posting an average of 9.1 points and 5.0 rebounds per game and played a key role in helping the club reach their first ever British Basketball League Cup Final in 2020.
He went on to spend three seasons with the Sheffield Sharks, where he averaged 6.8 points and 4.6 rebounds over the next three years, before spending last season with Manchester Basketball.
Delpeche played a significant role on last’s season’s Manchester side that finished fourth in the SLB Championship standings, where he posted an average of 6.2 points and 4.1 rebounds per game.
Speaking on his decision to return to the Flyers, Delpeche said:
“It feels surreal – I’m beyond excited to be coming back. Bristol’s always felt like home to me. The Flyers were the first team that gave me an opportunity in the UK and playing under Coach Kapoulas for those first three years gave me a real taste of what it takes to be successful.
“It’s kind of crazy to think that I’m going to be one of the older guys on the team now, because when I first came to Bristol I was one of the youngest. So Coach wants me to lead by example and continue to make an impact on both ends of the floor.
“Even when I came back to play against Bristol, the Flyers fans always gave me a great reception and I don’t take that lightly, so I can’t wait to play in front of them in a Flyers jersey once again.”
Prior to his first spell with the Flyers, Delpeche enjoyed a successful collegiate career at Bates in NCAA Division III, where he became the first Bobcat to play professionally in Europe since 2007 – and earned first team all-NESCAC honours in his senior year, finishing eighth in the league in scoring (15.1 PPG) and third in the league in rebounds (9.7 RPG).
He signed his first professional contract in Germany in 2017, where he helped the Grevenbroich Elephants to a second-place finish in the Regionalliga West, posting 11.5 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.
Flyers Head Coach Andreas Kapoulas said:
“We’re really pleased to welcome Marcus back to Bristol. He gained valuable experience during his time with Sheffield and he’s coming off a great season with Manchester – so we’re excited to see how he applies that overall growth in his game back in a Flyers jersey.
“Marcus has always been a strong competitor and a great character – we know he’ll bring energy, leadership, and a deep understanding of what it means to be part of our club.”
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