Calgary Colts
| Calgary Colts | |
| City | Calgary, Alberta |
| League | Canadian Junior Football League |
| Division | Prairie Football Conference |
| Founded | 1967 |
| Colours | Blue, Red, White |
| Home field | McMahon Stadium |
The Calgary Colts are a Canadian Junior Football team based in Calgary, Alberta. The Colts play in the six-team Prairie Football Conference, which itself is part of the Canadian Junior Football League (CJFL) and competes annually for the national title known as the Canadian Bowl. The Colts were founded in 1967.
Staff [edit]
Head Coach - John Stevens [edit]
Stevens returns to the Colts for his 4th year as Defensive Coordinator and 2nd as Head Coach. For 7 years, Coach Stevens was the Defensive Coordinator for the University of Calgary Dinos. During this time, the Dinos won back to back Canada West Championships in 2008 and 2009, and advancing to the Vanier Cup in 2010. Stevens was also the head coach of the Antigonish, N.S. based St. Francis Xavier X-Men for 10 years, leading the X-Men to a Vanier Cup appearance 1996 and earning national accolades a year later. Stevens grew up outside of Boston, played for 5 years on the defensive line at Acadia University, helping the Axemen win a CIS title in 1979, earning MVP honors in the Atlantic Bowl that same year and winning a trio of Atlantic all star awards during a successful varsity career.
Offensive Coordinator - Adam Blasetti [edit]
Coach Blasetti is entering his 8th year as the offensive line coach and 2nd as the Offensive Coordinator for the Colts. Adam has been a guest coach during training camp with the Calgary Stampeders for the last 3 years and at the University of Calgary for the past 7 years. Adam was a four year starter at center and guard in the PFC with the Calgary Colts and the Edmonton Huskies and a CJFL All-Canadian in 1999. He was also a 3 year starter with the University of Calgary and was a conference All-Star and second team All-Canadian in 2003. Also in 2003, he won the WPC world powerlifting title. In 2004, he signed as a free agent with the Calgary Stampeders and attended both the 2004 and 2005 Stampeders training camps.
Special Teams Coordinator - Lorne Hass [edit]
Coach Hass returns to the field for his 8th season with the Calgary Colts in 2012. In 2011, he joined the Colts board as the Director of Communication and this year rejoins the coaching staff as the Special Teams Coordinator, a role he had for 5 years previous.
Since 2010, Coach Hass has also coached Team Alberta at the U18 Canada Cup. In these 2 years, he was responsible for the Special Teams as well as coaching Running Backs. In 2011, Team Alberta returned to the podium to earn a Silver medal.
He has been has been involved in the Calgary football community for 30 years, from Pee Wee through to Junior. He has been selected to coach 11 CBFA Selects teams, as well as selected by Football Alberta to coach 4 Alberta Summer Games teams - 2 Gold Medals (1997 & 2002) and 2 Bronze Medals (1995, 2000). Lorne has been a member of 6 Coaching Staff of the Year Awards and has been honored to have been invited to Guest Coach with the Stampeders. He has made numerous presentations at the Football Alberta/ U of C Coaches Clinic held annually. Lorne feels blessed to have met his wife Sandra.
Receivers - Tom Forzani [edit]
Coach Forzani is a native Calgarian who started excelling at football at Utah State University, where he was named to the Aggies All-Century team. For the next 11 years he was a receiver for the Calgary Stampeders, earning All Star status, had his jersey #22 retired and became a member of the CFL Hall of Fame. Tom has coached the Colts for the past few years, bringing his skills and passion for the game to the players.
Receivers - Ryan Thelwell [edit]
Coach Thelwell joins the Colts for a 3rd season after an expectaional 12 year career as a receiver in both the NFL and the CFL. Ryan has coached at numerous camps and clinics including the Dave Dickenson Passing Academy. Coach Thelwell looks forward to sharing his experience and knowledge with the Colts and looks forward to helping the receivers achieve their ultimate goal of winning a National Championship.
Quaterbacks - Ian Couture [edit]
Coach Couture played high school football in Calgary with the Central Memorial Rams as a quarterback. He then started his junior career in 1992 as a quarterback with the Calgary Colts.
In 1994 and 1995 Coach Couture was a member of the Okanagan Sun team that won the BCJFL Championship in '95. He then played for the University of Alberta Golden Bears. Since graduating university, Coach Couture has been very involved in minor football in Calgary - coaching receivers with the Calgary Colt's in 2002, again joining the Colts in 2005, as the Offensive Co-ordinator and coached the Quarterbacks in 2010.
At the High School level, Coach Couture worked with the quarterbacks and receivers at St Mary's High School 2002-2004, winning a Div 2 Championship in 2004. From 2005 to 2007, he was the Offensive Coordinator for the Bishop O'Byrne Jr. Football team, getting to the City Finals each year. Coach Couture is presently the Offensive Coordinator with Bishop McNally/Father Lacombe Offensive Co-ordinator and has been since 2008. Coach Couture coached the U-17's for Team South Alberta in 2007 and 2009 (Silver Medalists in 2009). Coach Couture and his wife Michelle have two children, a son Ethan and a daughter Sophia who support him and share his passion for sports.
Running Backs - Jason Hutchins [edit]
Jason is a Colt Alumni (‘93-‘95) and is excited to return for his 3rd year as the Colts Running Backs Coach. Coach Hutchins finds it very rewarding to give back to the program where he once played and to work with other great coaches. He really enjoys working with coachable players that the Colts currently have on the roster. Coach Hutchins is entering his 16th coaching season and has been involved with Football Alberta for many years – from a course conductor to coaching both the U17 and U18 Teams. In 2011, he spent time with the Calgary Stampeders as a guest coach.
Linebackers - Biaggio Iannace [edit]
Coach Iannace enters his 8th year as a member of the Colts coaching staff. Coach Biag played his way up through the minor football programs in Calgary, beginning with 2 City Championships with the Bantam Colts. He attended Bishop Grandin High school, where he was named the 1982 Calgary High School Italian Athlete of the Year. He played Linebacker for the Calgary Dinos from 1982 to 1987 and won Vanier Cups in 1983 and 1985. He is currently the Midget Colts Head Coach, winning 3 Midget Championships in 2003, 2005 and 2006. Biag has also coached 6 years with the Calgary Bantam Colts and recently completed his 12th year at Bishop O'Byrne High School. He is a 26 year veteran with the Calgary Police Service.
Defensive Backs - Casey Fraser [edit]
Coach Fraser got a late start into football when started playing in grade 12 for Highwood High School in High River. That year he was fortunate to be a league All-star at both receiver and kick returner. From there, he played defensive back with the Calgary Colts from 2004-2006. In his final year with the Colts, he was a named defensive captain and the Sharon Lea award winner (Leadership in the Community). From 2007-2009, Coach Fraser played for the U of C Dinos and led the team in interceptions in 2007. Before returning to the Colts as coach in 2011, he won 2 CanWest titles and a Uteck bowl championship in 2009.
Defensive Assistant - Brett Serhyenko [edit]
Brett Serhyenko is a graduate of the Calgary Colts Junior Football Program in 2011, unfortunately after a motor vehicle accident left him unable to play. He joined the Colts Coaching Staff and as part of the Calgary Colts Coaching staff’s commitment to mentor their youth in Coaching Certification, is an asset in every way. For the Team, it is a win/ win since Brett joined in the capacity of Offensive assistant specializing with the Quarterbacks. Brett also undertakes the responsibility to film all practices and uploads the film immediately so that all coaching staff and players can review the film immediately after a night of practice. He sought additional training from Dave Kanaroski, Chief Videographer for the CFL Games for the Calgary Stampeders and the Calgary Colts Home games. Brett is a professional in the true sense of the word. Brett previously played QB for the University of Calgary Dinos from 2008-2009. He is currently attending Mount Royal University doing Policy Studies with his heart set on a career in politics or sales. Brett has enjoyed significant success during his minor football career and among his accomplishments are: Cochrane Cobras High School Quarterback from 2005-2008, Rockyview School Division Rookie of the Year in 2005, two time Rockyview School Division League MVP in 2007 and 2008, three time Provincial Championships in 2005, 2006, and 2008, Team Alberta Quarterback in 2008 and Senior Bowl South Best Offensive Back Award in 2008. Brett has also been involved with the Calgary Stampeders in various capacities as a volunteer for ten years.
Offensive Assistant - Allan Lazarenko [edit]
Allan is the most recent addition to the Calgary Colts Coaching staff in the position of Offensive assistant. He represents part of the Coaching staff’s desire and determination to mentor their youth and advance their skill set in Coaching Certification. Allan graduated from Springbank Community High School in 2007 and played for the Calgary Colts for his full five years as an Offensive Lineman graduating in 2011. Some of his minor football achievements include Rockyview Football Outstanding Offensive/Defensive Lineman in 2006 and 2007. He is a three time Rockyview Football All-Star and currently still volunteers as a coach with the Springbank Phoenix since 2007. This Club has won three Division 2 Championships and three Coaching staff of the Year Awards since 2007. In addition Allan has coached the Midget Hilltops while playing for the Calgary Colts Junior Football Team. He has studied at the University of Calgary and is currently at Mount Royal University getting his degree in Physical Education and eventually he plans on completing a degree in Physiotherapy. Last year while playing for the Calgary Colts he participated in the Habitat for Humanity build with fourteen other team mates (June 2011) in Cochrane, Alberta. In addition he volunteered with the Forzani Mother’s day Run, the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Turkey Dinner (November 2011) and many other Colts in the Community volunteer duties..
Receivers Coach - Brian Ross [edit]
Coach Ross played high school football in Regina at Martin Collegiate as a running back before he started a successful PFC career with the Regina Rams from 1988-1992 where he played slotback. After graduating from the University of Regina with his education degree, Coach Ross took a teaching position in Lacombe in 2000 where, as both Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator, his teams made it to the CAHSFL championship six times and to the provincial playoffs three times. Coach Ross and his wife, Marion, have a daughter, Blair, and are excited to join the Calgary Colts family.
Defensive Assitant - Alex Saretsky [edit]
External links [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ Down, John (August 12, 2012), "Colts topple the Hilltops Calgary takes season-opener on the road", Calgary Herald, retrieved August 13, 2012
- ^ Nugent-Bowman, Daniel (August 13, 2012), "Rough conference start for Hilltops", The StarPhoenix, retrieved August 13, 2012
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Calgary Colts |
