The head coach of Marauder football, Stefan Ptaszek, is leaving McMaster to be the offensive coordinator for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The news originally broke on May 4 through the Hamilton Spectator, and the Ticats confirmed the news on May 5.
This news comes less than a year after McMaster signed Ptaszek to a "multi-year agreement" to continue serving as head coach.
“I just want to thank Glen Grunwald, the entire McMaster University staff, students and our players for an amazing 10 years. Marauders football will always be a huge part of who I am and I will never forget what we accomplished," said Ptaszek in a press release.
Ptaszek took the reigns of McMaster in 2006 and brought the program to new heights. Mac won the Vanier Cup in 2011 for the first time in its history and went to the national championship game three times in four years.
The Burlington, Ont. native finishes his head coaching tenure with a 73-29 overall record, including a 22-game winning streak spanning from the second game of the 2011 season to the Vanier Cup in 2012. He won the CIS Coach of the Year award in 2012 after an undefeated regular season.
In the Tiger-Cats release, Ptaszek explained his decision.
“To have a chance to support and learn from Coach Austin and the Tiger-Cats organization is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” said Ptaszek. “The City of Hamilton is critical to this decision because my family has zero interest in ever leaving this wonderful community. I am extremely motivated and determined to be a positive force that adds value to the entire Ticat organization.”
Ptaszek is no stranger to the CFL. After an illustrious career as a wide receiver at Wilfrid Laurier University, Ptaszek was drafted ninth overall in 1994 to the B.C. Lions. The man who drafted him - Eric Tillman, the current general manager of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
“Stefan is a smart, innovative coach with strong leadership qualities, integrity and a proven track record of success at the CIS level. He has a thorough understanding of the Canadian game, and his body of work with respect to producing top ranked, efficient and explosive offences at McMaster speaks for itself,” said Austin. “He and his family are committed to the area and already entrenched in the Hamilton community. We are excited to have him on board as we continue to prepare for the upcoming season.”
With the football program’s spring camp over, the hunt for a new head coach likely begins immediately.
McMaster’s award-winning coaching staff could be getting a little more help.
As reported first by The Waterloo Record, former Laurier head coach Gary Jeffries is close to joining the Marauders as a special-teams co-ordinator.
After a 3-5 record in the 2012 season, the Golden Hawk athletic department dismissed Jeffries despite a 40-year service to the football program.
Jeffries tie to McMaster is CIS Coach of the Year Stefan Ptaszek, who worked together in 2005 to bring the Laurier Golden Hawks a Vanier Cup.
The 66-year old is taking his first post outside of the Laurier community.
While Jeffries will serve most of his time with the special-teams unit, he’s expected to bolster Mac’s recruiting game – specifically in the Waterloo area. Widely regarded as one of the most loved coaches in the world of Canadian football, Jeffries takes an already strong staff to another level.
Waterloo sources have confirmed the move, but there has been no word from the Hamilton side. The Silhouette will post updates as received.
