University of British Columbia (UBC) Thunderbirds is pleased to name Jerry Friesen as the football program’s full-time assistant coach, defensive coordinator, and academic coach.
Friesen, a former CIS Coach of the Year, brings a wealth of experience from over 25 years of coaching in both the CIS and CFL.
“We are very fortunate to have Jerry join our staff,” said UBC head coach Shawn Olson. “His extensive experience in the Canada West is a huge asset and I look forward to working with him in preparation for the 2013 season.”
Olson added that over 85 applicants applied for the defensive coordinator position.Ā In this pool of applicants, at least 15 of them were highly qualified for the position.Ā Eight applicants had head coaching experience.
“After we went through the interview process it became clear that Coach Friesenās combination of experience, intelligence, ability to teach and educational background was the perfect fit for what I was looking for to lead what I envision to be an aggressive and dominant defense in the Canada West,” explained Olson.Ā “The plan is to build a simple but very strong foundation defensively over the spring practices and then use movement along our 40 front and a combination of man and zone pressures to dictate a little bit more to offenses in our conference.”
“He is already at work for this week’s practices and brings a lot of positive energy to the field that has already provided a noticeable change.”
A native of Rosthern, Saskatchewan, Friesen most recently coached with the Saskatchewan Roughriders (2011) prior to 10 years as head coach of the University of Alberta Golden Bears (2001-10). He compiled a record of 36-43-1 over the 10 regular seasons with the Golden Bears and a playoff record of 4-5. He twice led Alberta to 7-1 regular seasons and to three straight Hardy Cup Finals (2003-05). In 2004 he won the Frank Tindall trophy as the CIS Coach of the Year.
During his playing days Friesen played linebacker with the Saskatoon Hilltops before moving on to the University of Saskatchewan where he was a two time All-Canadian. From there he played eight years in the CFL, three with the Montreal Alouettes and five seasons with his home province Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Friesen joined the coaching ranks when he retired as a player returning to his alma mater as the team’s defensive coordinator and helping them to their first Vanier Cup championship in 1990. After a year with the Roughriders in 1996, he became assistant coach with the University of Calgary in 1997 before taking the Alberta job in 2001.
The 57 year old is a member of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies Wall of Fame and was enshrined in the Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame in 2008.
“His over 25 years of experience in the Canada West and as a defensive coordinator is a serious positive in allowing us to immediately take huge leap in productivity,” commented Olson.Ā “I also expect his 10 years experience as a head coach in the Canada West will be an invaluable resource to the efficiency of every part of our program.”
“Jerry has many Vancouver ties that will make his transition easier. His mother and sister have resided in the lower mainland for the last decade.Ā Coach Friesen will also serve as our Academic Coach and spearhead our academic program in conjunction with the Athletic Departments new Academic Coordinator Joanna Hunter. He has just finished his Masters in Leadership and Education and has expressed passion for taking our academic retention programs to another level.”
For his part, Friesen is thrilled to be part of the Thunderbird family and looks forward to helping the team reverse its fortunes out on the field in 2013.
“I’m excited to be back coaching in the CIS especially the Canada West,” said Jerry Friesen. “I’m looking forward to working with the student-athletes and making sure they have a great experience contributing to the ‘Thunderbirds’ program.”
“Coach Olson has established a solid foundation with this program and I believe there is a very high ceiling,” said Friesen. “The Thunderbirds have some young athletic players and I am looking forward to working with them, the rest of the coaching staff and contributing to the success of the program.”
Jerry Friesen Coaching Timeline:
1986-95: University of Saskatchewan, Assistant Coach
1996: Saskatchewan Roughriders, Assistant Coach
1997-2000: University of Calgary, Assistant Coach
2001-2010: University of Alberta, Head Coach
2011: Saskatchewan Roughriders, Assistant Coach
(Source:Ā UBCĀ Sports Information)
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