Calgary Stampeders

Former CFL QB Drew Tate hired as University of Northern Iowa quarterbacks coach

by
3Down Staff
January 25, 2022

Photo courtesy: Scott Grant/CFLPhotoArchive.com

Former CFL quarterback Drew Tate has been hired as the quarterbacks coach by the University of Northern Iowa.

Tate retired from the CFL in 2018 after the Saskatchewan Roughriders convinced him to come out of retirement. He spent two years on the Riders practice roster before signing with the Calgary Stampeders in 2009 and was in Ottawa with the Redblacks for one year in 2017.

The six-foot, 192-pound QB played eight seasons with the Stamps. He won two Grey Cup championships in his career while completing 410-of-615 pass attempts (66 percent) for 5,008 yards, 35 touchdowns against 16 interceptions and added 162 carries for 629 yards and 24 touchdowns during 147 career CFL games.

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The 37-year-old started his coaching career as a defensive analyst for Coastal Carolina University in 2018. He was the B.C. Lions quarterbacks coach in 2019. In 2020, Tate was the running backs, receivers and tight ends coach for The Spring League’s Alphas team. This past season he was the quarterbacks coach for UT Martin.

Tate’s stepfather Dick Olin is a legendary Texas high school football coach and the University of Iowa star had always said he wanted to coach once his playing career came to a close.

The Baytown, TX native started at quarterback for three seasons with the Hawkeyes. He left Iowa ranked second in school history in career touchdown passes (61), completions (665), attempts (1,090), and passing yards (8,292) while finishing third in wins by a starting QB with 21.

Tate signed an undrafted free agent contract with the St. Louis Rams following the 2007 NFL Draft. After he was released in May, Tate came north of the border.