The York Lions are looking for a permanent head coach following another challenging year in Ontario University Athletics.
The Lions went 0-8 this past season, losing their games by a combined score of 560-42. The team was shut out five times and kept only one contest relatively close, losing to the Waterloo Warriors by a score of 53-32 on Sept. 3.
Nathaniel Griffith and Brian Jones served as the club’s associate head coaches this past year, an arrangement that wasn’t announced until two weeks before the season got underway. Griffith has been with the team since 2014, while Jones recently entered the coaching ranks following a six-year career in the CFL as a receiver.
“[Griffith and Jones] are doing an incredible job recruiting and growing the culture of the program and have been highly encouraged to join the competition,” Alex Dominato wrote in a statement to 3DownNation. The native of Barrie, Ont. was hired as York’s athletics director in February 2023 and has previous experience at Syracuse University, Florida State University, and Queen’s University.
The Lions have gone 1-21 since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic with the lone victory coming by forfeiture. The team hasn’t made an OUA playoff appearance since 2004, boasting six winless seasons over that timeframe. York’s lone playoff win this century came in 2002 when they defeated the Ottawa Gee-Gees in the OUA quarter-final round before being eliminated by the McMaster Marauders the following week.
Despite the team’s recent lack of success, the Lions have produced a number of players currently experiencing success at the professional level.
Luther Hakunavanhu starts at receiver for the Calgary Stampeders, Chris Kolankowski starts along the offensive line for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and Nikola Kalinic is on the practice roster with the Los Angeles Rams. Other alumni currently in the CFL include fullback James Tuck, receiver Colton Hunchak, offensive lineman Jamal Campbell, linebacker Matt Dean, and defensive back Daniel Amoako.
The Toronto Varsity Blues and Calgary Dinos are also currently without head coaches for the 2024 season. Toronto parted ways with Marshall after going 2-6 this past season, while Wayne Harris Jr. retired after nine seasons at the helm in Calgary.
