“I have been blessed with this opportunity to be the next head coach here at Guelph and I hope I can make the supporters of the program proud.”
1. What got you into playing football?
“I played football because of my older brother. I actually played AAA hockey growing up in Burlington. He played at Laurier as a defensive back and I thought I might try my hand at it in grade seven. I ended up loving the game and was able to play receiver at Queen’s University and win a national championship. It was really all about following in my brother’s footsteps that got me into playing football. One of my idols growing up was Steve Young. I loved his exciting brand of football and am still a fan of the 49ers to this day.”
2. What is your most memorable moment playing football?
“Winning the Vanier Cup as a player in 2009 and the Yates Cup as a coach in 2016. Anytime you can win a championship, those seasons and teams are special. The hard work and dedication of the 150 person teams are what makes winning worth it. I’ll never forget running onto the field in 2016 after we hit the game-winning field goal and to feel that elation of knowing the players on the team accomplished something special.”
3. How do you plan to turn around the Gryphons football team?
“There is no secret to what makes a great football team. People caring about people. We definitely have the talent to succeed, but my job entails creating the right environment for our players to succeed. Uniting the alumni base, parent group, administration, and players will help us achieve success on the field. This team has all the talent required to go out there and be successful, [I] just need to foster the right learning environment to do so. That involves hiring two more full-time staff on defence so that our players can continue to develop.”
4. What is your most memorable achievement so far with the Gryphons
“Beating Western in the home opener of 2021 has to be the highlight. It was rewarding to see a full off-season of hard work pay off in that first night game at home. We had a new QB, brand new WRs and it was great to see the camaraderie on that team.”
5. What is your coaching philosophy?
“I would describe myself as a servant leader. I mean, at the end of the day I have a very simple job, create an environment where our student athletes can grow and develop. The execution of the plan is the difficult part, but I think creating a relationship with all 110 guys on the team is very important to me. Being intentional about your time and how to create bonds beyond football is really key. We have a unique sport where it’s such a long off-season. If you don’t know why or don’t have a clear vision as to your love of football it can be very difficult to sacrifice everything that is required to be successful. When you can really enjoy your experience it makes it that much easier to work.”
6. Any teams you look forward to playing this year?
“Definitely need to play Waterloo and Carleton again. Looking forward to fixing those 180 seconds of our 2023 season.”
7. What are your goals for the team for this season?
“My goal is to focus on winning the process. Rather than be outcome-oriented – focus on doing the things required to be successful. In the end, by focusing on the things that we can control as a team, success will follow. I am a big believer in working on all three aspects of the team – technical skills, strategy, and culture/environment. We need to always be pushing to optimize those aspects of our organization.”
8. What was the process of coming to Guelph as the offensive coordinator and taking over this season as head coach?
“The previous head coach Ryan Sheahan told the staff the day before he announced that he was leaving. It was a whirlwind 24 hours where Scott McRoberts, our [athletics director], and Wally Gabler, our intercollegiate director, really stepped up and guided me through the process. By appointing me new head coach I was able to take care of some of the important aspects of the organization, like recruiting and running some of our major events like the Wildman Awards. I have been blessed with this opportunity to be the next head coach here at Guelph and I hope I can make the supporters of the program proud.”
9. What message, if any, do you have to give to students?
“My only message is to please come and support the team! Whether that be coming to a game, enjoying the tailgate and the free food, or even buying mittens in the UC, please support us! I love feedback and would happily take some students out for a game if interested!”