A 25-year professional and Canadian university coaching veteran, Bellefeuille returns to his alma mater 20 years after leading the program to its second Vanier Cup victory in 2000.
“It is tremendously exciting for the University of Ottawa to welcome Marcel Bellefeuille back as our head coach and program manager of the Gee-Gees football program. He brings a wealth of knowledge to our program and was the right fit that we needed at this time as a life-long coach at the university and professional level,” Sue Hylland, Director of Varsity Athletics at uOttawa, said.
“He is already a part of our Gee-Gees family. He brings what we wanted – strong leadership, great communications skills, and the ability to rally and unite the many stakeholders that form a large program like football. We are excited for the future.”
The Ottawa native served as head coach of the program from 1998 to 2000, amassing an overall record of 26-5 and leading the Gee-Gees football team to their first national title in 25 years. In 2018, Bellefeuille was inducted into the Gee-Gees Football Hall of Fame.
“It is an honour and privilege to have the opportunity to return home and coach the Gee- Gees football team. This program has a rich and storied history,” Bellefeuille said.
“As an alumnus and former employee, the University of Ottawa has always had a special place in my heart. I would like to thank the University and the Alouettes for making this opportunity a reality.”
Bellefeuille’s history with the Gee-Gees began over 35 years ago, while still attending Ridgemont High School. Having watched Gee-Gees games at Lansdowne Park, Bellefeuille later arrived at the university as a player in 1985.
Graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in History in 1991, Bellefeuille went on to win a championship coaching high school football in the city, eventually joining the Gee-Gees coaching staff in 1995 as an offensive assistant. Primarily working as the team’s running backs coach, Bellefeuille rose rapidly and was named head coach in 1998.
In 1998, the Gee-Gees posted a 6-2 regular season record under their new head coach. In 1999, the team’s 9-0 undefeated campaign came to an end in the Dunsmore Cup. That season, Bellefeuille was named the OQIFC Coach of the Year. In 2000, the team finished the regular season 7-1, going on to win the Dunsmore Cup and the Churchill Bowl, before defeating Regina in the Vanier Cup. At 34 years old, Bellefeuille was the youngest Vanier Cup winning head coach in history.
