Anthony Calvillo joins Carabins’ coaching staff

Montreal, December 19, 2018 – The Université de Montréal Carabins football team is very proud to announce the addition of legendary quarterback Anthony Calvillo to its coaching staff. Calvillo, who began his coaching career in 2015, will support Danny Maciocia as assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach.

“Anthony comes with an extraordinary amount of knowledge and with a unique background above all,” said Danny Maciocia, who had the opportunity of working with Calvillo with the Alouettes in 1998 and 1999. “He was one of the best quarterbacks in the history of professional football and I know him well enough to realize just how much our players will appreciate who they’re dealing with.”

“At the end of my playing career, I met Danny on a number of occasions,” said Calvillo. “I spent a full evening talking with him during one event that was part of Montreal’s 375th anniversary celebrations. I told him about my vision of football, my ambitions as a coach, and about our lives in general. The conversation left a deep impression on me.”

“I’ve always had an interest in coaching within the Canadian university system, and Danny told me how great the experience was for him. What he has built here over the past few years is truly impressive. He has actually created a culture with this program and I want to learn how he did it.” 

“I left a year ago to work with Marc Trestman in Toronto, but it was important for me to come back home to Montreal,” said the Canadian Football League (CFL) Hall of Famer. This is where I played and coached for 20 years. I wanted to come home, and now I have the chance to do so with a team that is already doing great things.”

“We’re very fortunate to be able to count on Anthony’s expertise and experience. His appointment is a great asset not only for our football team and student-athletes, but also for the entire campus,” said Manon Simard, director of the UdeM varsity sports program. He made Montreal his adopted home many years ago. He accomplished so much in this city and today he’s decided to give back to our young athletes. And that says a lot about the kind of man he is.”

An outstanding resource for both players and coaches 

While Calvillo already has a remarkable contingent of quarterbacks to work with, his presence is also an assurance to those who will decide to join the extended Les Bleus family someday that their development will be overseen by the best.

“It’s no secret that the quarterback position is key to a football team’s success. The type of education that our athletes come to UdeM for is something you don’t often see,” Maciocia said. “Our players who have the potential and the ambition to go far in their professional football career will have the opportunity of learning from Anthony.”

In addition to helping with quarterback development, Anthony’s experience will be a major plus for everyone on the coaching staff. He has previously worked successfully as quarterback coach for the Toronto Argonauts as well as quarterback and receiver coach and offensive coordinator for the Montreal Alouettes.

“While our coaching staff is extremely competent, they’re also quite young. Part of Anthony’s mandate will be to advise them, and it’s obvious to everybody that his arrival will be a big boost to the team,” said Maciocia.

“You always want to grow as an individual and as a coach, and here I’ll have the chance to learn from Danny and this great group of young coaches. I’ll share my experience with the student-athletes and coaches, but remember it’s a two-way street,” Calvillo said. “Their contribution, or my contribution, it doesn’t really matter. We just want to create something special together. I’ll do my best to help them grow, while also learning all I can from them.”

A role model for Carabins student-athletes

On the field, Anthony’s achievements made him one of the best quarterbacks of all time. His record of 79,816 yards puts him at the very top in any professional football league, not just the CFL.

Although a successful coaching career awaited Anthony at the end of his life as a player, it was essential for this new member of the Carabins to earn his bachelor’s degree in general studies at Utah State University before anything else.

“All Carabins coaches have had this unique experience of combining education and football. My career path has been somewhat different in this sense. I only completed my university studies after close to 25 years in professional football. It was very important for me and also for my children. I wanted them to see me on the stage graduating to show them how essential education is. You can be sure I’ll be promoting these same values with my student-athletes.”

“Anthony is quite literally the perfect role model,” the head coach of Les Bleus said. “He understands the importance of education and shares the same values as we do. He is a legend, not only on the field, but also as a person.”

 

Highlights from Anthony Calvillo’s career as a player and coach

·         2018:                    Toronto Argonauts quarterback Coach

·         2016 to 2017:    Quarterback coach for the Montreal Alouettes

·         2015 to 2016:    Receiver coach and offensive coordinator for the Montreal Alouettes

·         2015:                    Receiver coach for the Montreal Alouettes

·         1998 to 2013:    Quarterback for the Montreal Alouettes

·         1995 to 1997:    Quarterback for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats

·         1994:                    Quarterback for the Las Vegas Posse

·         1992 to 1993:    Quarterback for the Utah State University Aggies

Major achievements in sports

·         Most completed yards in passing in the history of professional football (79,816)

·         Most attempted passes in the history of the CFL (9437)

·         Most completed passes in the history of the CFL (5892)

·         Most touchdown passes in CFL history (455)

·         Most completed yards in passing during Grey Cup games (2470)

·         CFL MVP: 2003, 2008, and 2009

·         CFL Eastern Division MVP: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011

·         Grey Cup Champion: 2002, 2009, and 2010

·         Grey Cup MVP: 2002

·         CFL All-Star Team: 2002, 2003, 2008, 2009, and 2012

·         CFL Eastern Division All-Star Team: 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012

·         Inducted into the CFL Hall of Fame: 2017

·         His number 13 was retired by the Alouettes on October 13, 2014

·         Led the Utah State University Aggies to their first Bowl title in 1993

 

source: Montreal Carabins