McGill University has hired Alex Surprenant as their new head football coach.
Surprenant has spent the past four seasons as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Concordia University, turning the Stingers into a potent passing team during the career of start pivot Olivier Roy.
The 38-year-old previously served as head coach at the College St. Jean from 2013 to 2018, earning the team promotion to Division 1 in 2016 after winning back-to-back Division 2 CEGEP titles. He has also worked with Football Quebec and Football Canada on several occasions.
“We are very excited about Alex joining our program and bringing a wealth of experience, knowledge on both sides of the football,” McGill director of sports programs Daniel Méthot said in a statement.
“A creative thinker who is oriented on teaching, communicating and developing young talented student-athletes were key attributes we were looking for in this important process. His astute knowledge of future candidates, his recruitment approach and his past recruiting successes spoke volumes for what our program intends to address going forward. We are eager to help him build a solid coaching staff and bring McGill football at the forefront once again.”
Prior to moving into coaching, Surprenant spent four years as a defensive back at Université Laval. He was part of a team that won four straight Dunsmore Cups and captured two Vanier Cup national titles before he graduated with a business degree in 2009.
“I am deeply honoured and excited to step into the role of head coach at McGill,” Surprenant said as part of the announcement. “This opportunity is not just a career milestone for me but a profound responsibility to carry forward the legacy of excellence that McGill represents, both academically and athletically. My journey in football has been filled with invaluable lessons, challenges, and triumphs, all of which have prepared me to lead this distinguished program. I look forward to this new chapter, building strong relationships within the University, the football community across Canada and with our alumni.”
Surprenant replaces Ronald Hilaire as head coach after he was let go in December, having posted a 16-48 record over the last eight seasons. The Redbirds finished 1-7 in last place in the RSEQ each of the last three seasons. The native of Farnham, Que. becomes the 22nd head coach in the history of a program that dates back to 1872.
