Football Canada unveils 2014 Junior National Team coaching staff

Football Canada is proud to announce its 2014 Junior National Team coaching staff which will lead Canada at the 2014 International Federation of American Football (IFAF) U19 World Championship. Canada enters the third IFAF U19 World Championship as the defending gold medalist after defeating Team USA 23-17 last summer in Austin, Texas while the Americans captured the inaugural 2009 event with a win over Canada in Canton, Ohio.

Returning from the 2012 gold medal winning squad is recently named head coach Warren Craneywho will continue his role as Canada’s defensive coordinator along with fellow returnees Brian Guebert (defensive line) and Kamau Peterson (receivers). Joining the staff are Justin Éthier(offensive coordinator), Chris Bertoia (offensive line), Brad Collinson (running backs), Ryan Hall(defensive backs), Marcello Lio (quarterbacks) and Kevin MacNeill (linebackers).

“We have once again assembled a talented coaching staff to take on the world at the IFAF U19 World Championship,” said Warren Craney. “Canada heads into 2014 as world champions and will work towards preparing for the challenge ahead.”

Entering his first season as special teams coordinator at his alma mater, the University of Saskatchewan, Brian Guebert is an accomplished defensive lineman having most recently played for Canada at the 2011 IFAF Senior World Championship in addition to the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers and CJFL’s Saskatoon Hilltops. Guebert will serve as defensive coordinator for Team Saskatchewan at the 2013 Football Canada Cup in Moncton, NB, having previously served as an assistant with Saskatchewan in 2010 and 2012. In addition to serving as 2012 Junior National Team defensive line coach, his resume includes coaching at the high school ranks the past four years with Aden Bowman in Saskatoon.

Kamau Peterson brings 10 years of CFL playing experience to Team Canada for his second stint as the national team’s receivers coach. A three time CFL All-Star, Grey Cup Champion and the CFL’s 2008 Most Outstanding Canadian, Peterson was selected by the Calgary Stampeders in the 1st round (6th overall) of the 2001 CFL draft out of the University of New Hampshire.

Justin Éthier is one of the most gifted offensive minds in Canadian university football and returns as Junior National Team offensive coordinator, a position which he previously held at the inaugural 2009 World Championship in Canton, Ohio. He’s also served on Canada’s NFL Global Junior coaching staff from 2000-2007. Éthier led the Rouge et Or offense from 2001 through 2009 capturing four Vanier Cup titles in the process. After stepping away following the 2009 season, he returns as Laval’s offensive coordinator in 2013.

Chris Bertoia is currently Western University’s offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator in addition to the head coach of the London Junior Mustangs varsity program. Prior to joining Western’s coaching staff in 2009, Bertoia spent four and a half years as both an offensive and defensive line coach at St. Francis Xavier University. Bertoia also returns as Team Ontario’s offensive coordinator at the 2013 Football Canada Cup in Moncton hoping to build on a 2012 Team Ontario West bronze medal.

Brad Collinson is another veteran Football Canada Cup coach having taken over as Quebec’s U18 provincial team head coach in 2012, leading La Belle Province to a second consecutive national championship. A member of Quebec’s U19 provincial program’s coaching staff from 2007-09, the former Montreal Alouette special teams contributor rejoined Team Quebec in 2011, serving as running backs coach. A Concordia University grad, Collinson coached with the Stingers from 2004-2010 before joining Laval in the summer of 2010.

Ryan Hall is a veteran of the Saskatchewan high school coaching ranks whose coaching career began in 1989 with the Thom Trojans. The former Regina Rams defensive back returned to his alma matter, Caronport High School in 1990, becoming the Cougars head coach in 1993 prior to moving on to Campbell in 2007. He also served four seasons as Prairie (now Regina) Thunder defensive backs coach beginning during their inaugural 2000 Canadian Junior Football League (CJFL) season. A member of Saskatchewan’s inaugural 2004 U19 Football Canada Cup coaching staff, Hall was promoted to head coach in 2008 and during his last year on staff in 2009 led Saskatchewan to their first national championship.

Marcello Lio is currently the head coach at Villanova College, a program which he’s been a part of since its inception in 2002 in addition to coaching the Metro Toronto Wildcats. In 1998, Lio served as offensive coordinator at his alma mater, York University where the former Lions QB is the school’s fourth all-time leading passer. Having also played professionally in both the Italian and German leagues he took a sabbatical in 2006 to join the Bergamo Lions of the Italian Football League as offensive coordinator, leading the squad to a league championship.

Kevin MacNeill is entering his fourth season as defensive coordinator at the University of Guelph. Prior to joining Guelph in 2010, MacNeill spent two seasons as special teams and recruitment coordinator at the University of British Columbia. A former Wilfrid Laurier linebacker (1999-2003) MacNeill began his coaching career at his alma mater from 2004-2007.

Name	Position	Team
Warren Craney	Head Coach/ Defensive Coordinator	York University
Justin Éthier	Offensive Coordinator	Université Laval University
Chris Bertoia	Offensive Line	Western University
Brad Collinson	Running Backs	Université Laval University
Brian Guebert	Defensive Line	University of Saskatchewan / Aden Bowman (Saskatoon, SK)
Ryan Hall	Defensive Backs	Campbell Collegiate (Regina, SK)
Marcello Lio	Quarterbacks	Metro Toronto Wildcats
Kamau Peterson	Receivers	2012 Junior National Team
Kevin MacNeill	Linebackers	University of Guelph