Alberta Bears coach Friesen resigns after 10 seasons

The University of Alberta Golden Bears football team is looking for a new head coach for the first time in over a decade.

Jerry Friesen has handed the school his resignation. Friesen had the following comment in a statement delivered to the media at the University:

“I have resigned to pursue other opportunities. I am proud of the Golden Bears and all that we accomplished together and I am confident the U of A Golden Bears will continue to improve and achieve their goals. You will have to speak with Vang Ioannides to know the direction the club will take. When I am ready I will publicly discuss my other opportunities.”

BIO

Jerry Friesen was born and raised on a farm in Rosthern, SK, before moving to Saskatoon where he attended Bedford Road Collegiate High School.

Friesen played three years of football while earning a Bachelor of Education from the University of Saskatchewan. He was named and All-Canadian in his final two seasons – 1976 and 1977.

After university, Friesen began a long, successful career as a linebacker in the Canadian Football League. He played with the Montreal Alouettes in the 1978 and 1979 Grey Cups, but the Als lost both times to the Edmonton Eskimos during their string of five Grey Cup championships.

After three years in Montreal, Friesen signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders for the 1981 season, where he played until he retired following the 1986 campaign.

In 1985, he was honoured at the Schenley Awards with the Tom Pate Award for players who display qualities that distinguish themselves from their peers. The Award honours former Hamilton Tiger-Cat Tom Pate, who had a unique combination of outstanding sportsmanship and dedication to the league and the community, but past away the result of an aneurysm suffered during at 1975 game at the tender age of 23.

Following his nine-year pro career, Friesen joined the Canadian university coaching ranks as a defensive co-ordinator with the Saskatchewan Huskies from 1988 through 1995. In 1990 he won his only national title as a member of the Vanier Cup champion Huskies.

In 1996 he rejoined the CFL, this time as a Linebackers/Special Teams coach with his old team in Regina, the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

After just one season, Friesen left Regina and resumed his university-level coaching career, this time as a defensive co-ordinator with the Calgary Dinos from 1997 until 2000.

[URL]http://goldenbearsfootball.ca