University of Regina Rams head coach Frank McCrystal has announced that the Rams have added former players Alex Smith, Marc Mueller and Charlie McCrystal to the team’s coaching staff.
Smith, who joins the staff as a special teams coach, played for the Rams during their days as a junior program and received both a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Regina. After coaching at the high school level with Scott Collegiate, Balfour Collegiate, and Thom Collegiate, Smith ascended to the junior ranks in the early 1990s. He coached with the Rams from 1991 to 1996, holding positions as both a linebackers coach and as the team’s defensive coordinator. Smith just finished a 16-year stint with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, spending the majority of that time as a linebackers and special teams coach.
“Alex brings a wealth of football knowledge back to our program,” Frank McCrystal said. “He has had great success at all levels of football, including high school, junior, and the CFL.”
“He understands the game as well as anyone in the country and I’m thrilled to add him to our staff.”
Mueller just completed his CIS eligibility last season and will coach the U of R’s quarterbacks. One of the most prolific pivots in Rams history, Mueller completed his five-year career as the school’s all-time leader in completion percentage (62.1%) and ranks second on the University of Regina’s all-time list in both completions (511) and passing yards (6522). Currently employed as a sales representative with Molson Coors, Mueller will receive a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in finance this spring.
“Marc is a young, energetic coach with an excellent football mind,” Frank McCrystal said. “He will bring a practical approach to the quarterback position with a progressive vision of the offence.”
Charlie McCrystal, whose five-year career with the Rams as a defensive back wrapped up in 2008, will be a defensive backs coach at the U of R. McCrystal ended up with 103½ tackles, four interceptions, 13 pass deflections, and seven fumble recoveries during his time with the Rams and played one season overseas after his CIS career ended, spending the 2009 campaign with the Langenfeld Longhorns of the German Football League 2. McCrystal, who received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in finance from the University of Regina in 2008, has coached with Balfour Collegiate as the Redmen’s defensive coordinator and currently works as a financial planner with Assante Wealth Management.
“Charlie has an excellent understanding of the game as well as our defence,” Frank McCrystal said. “As important is his knowledge of the program and the goals and values of Rams football.”
The first on-field action for Smith, Mueller, and McCrystal will be at the team’s spring camp, which will run from May 3 through May 5 at the University of Regina Field.
Top Photo credit: Saskatchewan Roughriders website
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