PRESS RELEASE: Long-time Laurier football coach Ron VanMoerkerkeĀ has been named the team’s full-time Defensive Coordinator & Associate Head Coach and has officially started his new role.
Having coached with the Golden Hawks for 20 years, VanMoerkerke most recently held the title of Associate Head Coach, Defensive Coordinator & Linebacker Coach. The Laurier alum has been key to winning OUA championships (2004, 2005, 2016) and a Vanier Cup title in 2005.
This season, with the team returning to the field after the cancelled 2020 campaign, VanMoerkerke’sdefence finished first in U Sports for interceptions and fumble recoveries. His unit also ranked in the top 10 nationally for defensive touchdowns (3rd), points allowed (9th), and points allowed per game (9th).
Throughout his career at Laurier, he has coached 40 OUA First Team All-Stars, 36 Second Team All-Stars (including three in 2021), 25 CIS/U SPORTS All-Canadians and four CFL first round draft picks.
In his long history with the program, VanMoerkerke also played for Laurier in the late 1980s – including the 1987 Yates Cup championship team. In 1988, he received the Laurier Alumni Association Academic and Athletic Achievement Award. In 1989, he was named an OUA First Team All-Star linebacker and team MVP.
With the announcement, VanMoerkerke expressed his excitement towards “working more closely with our current players, alumni and the extended Laurier football family.”
“Thank you to President Deb MacLatchy, Director of Athletics and RecreationĀ Peter Baxter, and Head CoachĀ Michael FauldsĀ for the opportunity to represent Wilfrid Laurier University as a full-time member of the football coaching staff,” VanMoerkerke said. “I would also like to thank all my current and former players and coaches for all of their hard work and support during my part-time coaching career.”
Ryan Lannan, Laurier Athletics and Recreation’s Associate Director, Interuniversity Sport conveyed how “the opportunity to have Ron with our program on a full-time basis is outstanding for our student-athletes.”
“His pedigree within the sport has been nationally recognized on multiple occasions and he brings immense knowledge that will benefit our coaching staff, current roster, and future student-athletes within the football program.”
Manager of Football Operations & Head Coach,Ā Michael Faulds, expressed that the team is “immediately a better football program now with Coach VanMoerkerke here as a full-time member of our coaching staff and continuing to lead our defence into the future.”
“Coach V has had an incredible track record; very competitive defences every year, he’s coached countless league all-stars, coached many players that have gone on to the CFL. Most importantly, he has been an incredible mentor to every single player he’s coached.”
Source: https://laurierathletics.com/
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