CRANEY TAKES OVER AS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR, LAFLAMME MOVES TO SPECIAL TEAMS
York University Lions head football coach Warren Craney has also assumed the roleof defensive coordinator for the team, while Harry Laflamme will take over as special teams coordinator effective immediately.
Craney, who joined the Lions program in May of 2010 and earned his first victory as head coach against Waterloo last season, is no stranger to the role of defensive coordinator. Before joining the Lions he held the same role with the Concordia University Stingers for sevenseasons and, prior to that, another three years at Vanier College.
Under his guidance on defence, Craney’s student-athletes won four Presidents’ Trophies, awarded to the nation’s top defensive player, and one J.P. Metras Trophy as the top down lineman in the CIS. One of those Presidents’ Trophies winners was Cory Greenwood, who went onto play in the National Football League (NFL) with the Kansas City Chiefs. Inaddition, 13 first-team all-Canadian awards have been given to defensive players under his direction.
He has also served as the defensive coordinator for Team World at the International Bowl in Austin, Texas, in each of the last three years. The most recent game, played in February 2012, washistoric as the international team defeated the Americans for the first timeand in that game, Craney’s Team World defence held Team USA to 254 yards oftotal offence.
Craney was also the defensive coordinatorfor Team Canada at the 2009 Junior World Championship, winning a silver medalwith the squad, and has been part of the coaching staffs for each of the last three East West Bowls (2009-11).
Throughout his coaching career, which hasspanned nearly two decades, he has also served as a guest coach at the Universityof Michigan Football School and University of Nebraska in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and with several teams in the Canadian Football League (CFL).
Laflamme joined the Lions coaching staff inJuly 2010, reuniting him with Craney, who he previously worked with at Concordia as an assistant defensive coordinator. Laflamme also worked withCraney for three years in the late ‘90s at Vanier College. He was a member ofthe coaching staff for the West team at the 2011 East West Bowl, serving as thedefensive coordinator, and this past summer he also assisted with the Canadian Football League (CFL)’s Toronto Argonauts at their pre-season training camp.
Prior to coming to York Laflamme spent eight years with the University of Montreal Carabins, whose coaching staff hejoined in 2002 for the team’s inaugural season. He was an integral part of Montreal’s quick success; in just three seasons the Carabins went from an 0-8record to a perfect regular season. Over the years he has developed some of the most feared pass rushers in the CIS and had several players named to all-Canadian teams.
York will begin play for the 2012 season on Labour Day with a road game in Kingston, Ont., against the Queen’s Gaels The Lions’ home opener is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 8 at 1pmat York Stadium against the Ottawa Gee-Gees.
