Laurier football turn focus towards recruiting for 2017

The Laurier Golden Hawks men’s football team celebrated their successes Thursday night at the All-Canadian Awards Gala.

Head Coach Michael Faulds took home the Frank Tindall Award for U Sports Coach of the Year.

“Michael had all the tools to build a championship culture, including an educational philosophy that ensures that student-athletes are developed academically, athletically, and as leaders,” said Laurier director of athletics and recreation Peter Baxter. “He has surrounded himself with top coaching talent on his staff, recruited character student-athletes, and set expectations that drive results. I am not surprised he has earned national recognition for himself and his coaching staff.”

The focus will now shift to the off-season and recruitment.

Recruiting is one of the most important jobs that a coaching staff has to do in order to replenish the cupboards with talent.

“Recruiting is really the back bone of what you do as a U Sports coach,” says Head Coach Michael Faulds, “you’re only as good as your talent. When talent is equal in a game, that’s where scheme and coaching really comes into play, so that’s been our main goal here is to get the best players to want to come to Laurier.”

The Laurier football program looks for high character players who not only perform on the field, but in the classroom as well.

“We want them to be good students coming out of high school,” says Faulds, “we want them to be very high character individuals, but throughout the recruiting process, we don’t sugarcoat anything, we show them exactly what they are going to experience here at Laurier.”

Faulds adds when they are recruiting a player, they invite them down to campus to see exactly what the Laurier football program has to offer.

“They see our guys practice and work out,” says Faulds, “we want them to be very confident in their decision, so that once they are here, we have them for four to five years.”

There is currently seven players who have committed to the Golden Hawks football program for 2017.

Offensive lineman Alex Pigozzo, fullback Damian Tesoro, defensive back Aden Alkanani, linebacker Mitch Rooney, defensive end Kennedy Ilodigwe, quarterback Connor Carusello and defensive end John O’Reilly.