Trio of CFL greats to guest coach with Golden Gaels

KINGSTON – Greg Marshall, Don Sweet and Bob Vespaziani will all be involved as guest coaches with the Queen’s Football team as they prepare for the upcoming 2014 season.

The three bring long resumes with many years of experience and success in the Canadian Football League. They are expected to provide the Football Gaels with an enriched learning and development environment as well as aiding in the professional development of the team’s coaching staff.  The Gaels off-season training period has commenced with spring camp set for a March 26th start.

“To have the quality and experience that these three coaching greats have and to be able to bring them in to contribute to our program is really a huge benefit for our players,” said head coach Pat Sheahan. “The players will be able to learn from coaches who have professional and championship experience in football and the lessons they can teach will only help in continuing to move our program forward as one of the best in all of Canada.”

Marshall, who most recently served as the defensive coordinator for the Edmonton Eskimos of the CFL, played nine seasons as a defensive lineman with the Ottawa Rough Riders. He was drafted in the 7th round of the 1978 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles after playing defensive tackle with Oregon State. Greg has an extensive coaching career in the CFL in various defensive roles since starting out in 1994. He spent time with Saskatchewan, Edmonton, Ottawa, Winnipeg and Hamilton. Marshall got his first head coaching job with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2011.

Sweet is considered by many to be one of the best kicking coaches Canada has ever produced having helped aid in the development of many current CFL kickers. That list includes Rene Paredes of the Calgary Stampeders who broke the record for consecutive field goals last season setting the new mark at 39. Sweet himself was a star kicker at Washington State before moving on to the Montreal Alouettes and Montreal Concordes of the CFL. He is a two-time Grey Cup winner and was named the Grey Cup Most Valuable Canadian three times. Sweet has helped with the Gaels summer kicking camp and will once again be aiding Dillon Wamsley during training camp for Queen’s.

Vespaziani has an extensive coaching resume and will help on the defensive side of the ball once again this season. Bob was a defensive consultant for six years with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and is no stranger to the CFL. He has coached such clubs as Calgary, Winnipeg, and B.C. appearing in the Grey Cup seven times and winning three championships. Before the CFL he spent 10 seasons at Acadia University and was inducted into the Acadia Hall of Fame as a Coach and Builder.

The Queen’s football Gaels begin their regular season on the road when they take on the Windsor Lancers on Monday September 1, 2014. The Gaels then open up their home schedule onSaturday September 6 against the Ottawa Gee-Gees at 1:00 p.m. at Richardson Stadium.