Director of Recreation and Athletics D'Arcy Ryan is pleased to announce Brad Collinson has agreed to a multi-year contract to stay on as head coach of the Concordia Stingers football program.
“Bringing stability, maturity and leadership to our football program is a priority,” Ryan said. “Brad brings all this and more. I’m excited about the foundations being laid and the plans Brad has for revitalizing the team.”
Collinson took over as the Stingers’ head coach last May and steered the team through some rough waters. Now he will move forward with a long-term vision.
“For me a team is composed of devoted, hard-working, team-first student-athletes,” Collinson said. “Players should be playing for the right reasons, and that’s the name on the front of the jersey, not on the back.
“Good student-athletes and good citizens are what we are looking for. We want players who are committed to representing themselves, the program and the university at the highest level.”
There’s a lot of work ahead, but recruiting is a high priority for Collinson.
“I’m looking forward to announcing big things in the near future,” he said.
The 39-year-old native of St. Bruno, Que. spent three seasons with the Stingers as a centre and long snapper. He was a team captain and a two-time recipient of the Hal McCarney Trophy as Concordia’s top offensive lineman. Collinson signed as a free agent with the Montreal Alouettes in the spring of 2003. He played 18 regular season games as a long snapper.
His coaching resumé includes seven years as an assistant coach at Concordia, two years as the head coach of Football Canada’s U18 team, four years as head coach of Team Québec and seven seasons with the Laval Rouge et Or. During that time, he won two International Bowl titles, four gold medals at Canada Cup and four Vanier Cup championships.
He graduated from Concordia with a BA, major in Leisure Sciences, in 2005.