The University of Guelph has promoted offensive coordinator Mark Surya to the head coaching position following the departure of Ryan Sheahan.
“We are excited to announce Mark as our new head coach,” Guelph director of athletics Scott McRoberts said in a statement. “We are fortunate to be getting a coach of his character, coaching acumen, recruiting experience, ability to develop young student-athletes to their full potential and a familiarity with our University, which makes him a perfect match. I look forward to watching his leadership as he guides our Gryphon student-athletes into a new era.”
Sheahan announced on Friday he would be leaving the Gryphons to become the new head coach of the University of Calgary. In four seasons at the helm in Guelph, he posted a 15-19 record, missing the playoffs in each of the last two years.
Surya now becomes the 18th head coach in school history. He had been the offensive coordinator at Guelph for the entirety of Sheahan’s tenure, joining the program in 2019. Despite a 3-5 record in 2023, the Gryphons were 10th in the nation in total offence and seventh in points scored thanks to the emergence of first-year quarterback Tristan Aboud.
“I am truly honoured for this opportunity to lead the Gryphon football program,” Surya said as part of the announcement. “The last five years have laid the foundation for the program, and I look forward to building on the current success and working towards creating an outstanding experience for the student-athletes.”
A former receiver at Queen’s and Wilfrid Laurier, Surya began as the offensive coordinator for the Golden Hawks in 2013 and spent four seasons at his alma mater. He joined the University of Toronto for two years beginning in 2017 before arriving at Guelph.
