Coach Vernon is in his 3rd season as Head Coach of the X-Men Basketball program. He joined the X-Men and X-Women Basketball coaching staff as an associate coach in April, 2019 and succeeded long-time head coach Coach Konchalski as the head coach of the X-Men basketball program at the completion of the 2020-21 season. The 2023 AUS Coach of the Year, he led the X-Men to the AUS championship title and a U SPORTS silver medal. Coach Vernon was also an assistant coach with the Scarborough Shooting Stars who won the 2023 CEBL championship.

Vernon played with the X-Men for two seasons in 2011-12 and 2012-13, having been a key part of the squad that won a U SPORTS bronze medal in 2012. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree, having previously played at McMaster University. He went on to play with the Mississauga Power of the National Basketball League of Canada (NBL) and was also the 2013 North of the Border Basketball League (NBBL) most valuable player and champion with Team 905. The NBBL features elite semi-pro and post-secondary basketball players from Southern Ontario.

In the Nike Crown League in Toronto, an annual five-week pro-am basketball tournament that brings together some of Canada's top collegiate, and pro talent, Vernon was a 2016 champion as a player/coach with Team ACE. He also was head coach of Team TopSzn, the finalists at the 2017 OVO Bounce tournament, another elite pro-am basketball tournament in Toronto.

Vernon has been the head coach of the boys basketball team at The RISE Centre (TRC Academy), a prep school in Brantford, Ont. since 2016, enjoying many successes. Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association (OSBA) finalists in 2017, Vernon then led the team to back-to-back OSBA championships in 2018 and 2019. He was also recently named the 2019 OSBA Coach of the Year. Vernon also lends his coaching talents to the Nike Bounce Team in the Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) as the U17 head coach.