Stu Lang announced he would be relinquishing his duties as head coach following Guelph’s Yates Cup winning 2015 season. The new coach will certainly not be named before the university’s new athletic director is announced, however, a few candidates have emerged as front-runners.
“The next head coach has to take the program to the next level,” said Lang. “I was maybe a little too easy going; the next guy needs to be more of a disciplinarian. We need a more dominant, hard-nosed coach, but in a positive way. One of the reasons for our success has been continuity of our coaching staff.”
When asked about his role with the team going forward, Lang said, “It’s up to the new coach. I sense the new head coach may want to be more of a coordinator. I hope there are some things he has me doing. We have to hire the best person out there. We’ve built something special here, and we’re so close to the ultimate prize, I would hate to see it slide back.” With this in mind, let’s take a look at the most likely candidates for Guelph’s top job.
Kevin MacNeill Guelph’s current defensive co-coordinator is the most obvious choice for the head coach position. He fulfills all of Lang’s requirements: he keeps the staff together, he will be much more of a coordinator, and is an incredibly effective disciplinarian. His defense has been the backbone of the Gryphons resurgence. MacNeill is a great football mind, a good recruiter, and a well-spoken leader. He’s fiery, passionate, and young enough to potentially be around for many years. The downside to coach MacNeill is, ironically, that he may be too good of a candidate: he’s smart and young enough to be plucked up by a CFL team at any time, and his idea of discipline may be too extreme for the new athletic director. As the current co-interim head coach, we can consider him a “co-favourite” for the top job.
Pat Tracy Recently fired by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Tracy was a strong contender the last time Guelph needed a head coach. He is a Guelph alumnus with extensive CIS coaching experience, most recently with the Queen’s Gaels as a defensive coordinator. Tracy certainly coveted the Guelph head coaching job seven years ago, and the timing of his dismissal makes it likely that he will again make a push for the position.
“I called Pat after he was let go,” said Lang. “I wanted to let him in on what my plans were so he didn’t rush into a decision without knowing about the situation here. He’s a great alumni.” However, although he would be an Xs and Os coach, he’s a defensive mind, and Guelph needs help on offence. It makes little sense to bring in a candidate who will infringe on MacNeill’s turf in terms of defence management. Tracy’s experience and connections to Guelph are both strong assets, but there are other factors to consider as well.
Mike O’Shea Another Guelph alumnus who has been hired by the Blue Bombers in recent years, O’Shea is one of three Gryphons to have his jersey number retired, and enjoyed a lengthy career in the CFL. He too is very young, has a background in special teams (the Gryphons’ calling card) and is by all accounts a very football-smart man. However, he doesn’t help Guelph’s offense, and he currently has a job in the CFL. He would be taking a pay cut and stepping to a lower level of football, but also getting a promotion, increased job security, and returning to an old home. While it would be a great pickup for Guelph, O’Shea seems to belong in the CFL.
Craig Davoren Currently the assistant defensive coordinator with the Edmonton Eskimos, Davoren is young, a qualified enough football mind for a CFL job, and looks the part of a strict disciplinarian. The Eskimos just lost their head coach, so Davoren could be facing either a promotion or a pink slip. Davoren has ties to Southern Ontario, (he helped establish the Burlington Stampeders program) but not to Guelph specifically. Lang’s Eskimo ties make this a possibility, but Davoren is the dark horse of the candidates. He’s another defensive coach Guelph doesn’t need, and he is also currently employed.
Neil Lumsden If not the outright favourite, he has to be neck and neck with MacNeill. Lumsden needs no introduction: he is one of the greatest CIS and CFL players of all time, has had a lengthy coaching tenure, is a current Guelph coach, strict but fair, and most significantly, an offensive coach. Guelph’s offense improved this year, but still isn’t scaring any of the top teams in the league. It must be better next year with the defense losing key pieces in order for the Gryphons to set their sights on the Mitchell Bowl. Lumsden has been a great asset to Guelph’s running backs, all of whom have turned into both better runners and blockers under Lumsden’s watch, and his pedigree makes for a huge recruiting bonus. In a perfect world, he would somehow convince his son (former OUA, CFL, NFL, and Olympian Jesse Lumsden) to come coach at Guelph as well. Of all the candidates, Lumsden makes the most sense.
At the time of his announcement, Lang told the Gryphons Athletic Department, “The time has come for me to back away from my specific coaching duties and focus on some long-term projects. It’s an honour to have had the opportunity to be the coach of the Guelph Gryphons, and I’ve appreciated every moment of it.”
Lang has been with the Gryphons for six seasons, taking on the role of head coach in 2010 from Kyle Walters.