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November 14, 2014 | Football

Mickey DonovanMickey Donovan

Donovan named RSEQ Coach of the Year

Mickey Donovan, head coach of the Concordia Stingers, has been named the RSEQ conference’s Coach of the Year for the 2014 football season.

Donovan, who was selected by a panel of media, head coaches and athletic directors, will be the Quebec nominee for the Frank Tindall Trophy presented to the Canadian Interuniversity Sport’s Coach of the Year during Vanier Cup festivities in Montreal at the end of the month.

In his first year as a head coach at the CIS level, Donovan directed the Stingers to a 5-3 regular season win-loss record. With a preseason win over the Queen's Gaels and a semifinal loss to the Laval Rouge et Or, he had a 6-4 record overall.

The Stingers were not ranked in the CIS pre-season Top 10 poll but moved into the prestigious rankings in the third week of play and stayed there six weeks, peaking at the No. 8 spot in week 8.

Concordia had struggled the last couple of seasons, and Donovan inherited a 0-8 team in February of 2014. He won the preseason contest versus Queen's and won four straight games to start the regular season. The Stingers finished fourth in the conference and returned to playoff action for the first time since 2011.

Donovan returned to Concordia to take charge of the team 10 years after he suited up for the Stingers and dominated the Canadian university ranks. The Laconia, N.H. native was a very accomplished linebacker for three seasons – 2002 through 2004.

He was a two-time Quebec all-star, a two-time CIS all-Canadian and he won the Presidents' Trophy as the top defensive player in Canadian university football in 2004.

His coaching career started with an internship at the University of New Hampshire in 2006. Donovan joined the Western Mustangs in 2007 to coach linebackers. During his four years with the Mustangs, he handled special teams, the defensive front seven and served as the team's recruiting co-ordinator.

In November of 2011, Donovan joined the McGill Redmen as assistant head coach and defensive co-ordinator. He stayed with McGill until coming home to Concordia nine months ago.