University of Alberta Golden Bears’ head coach Chris Morris has been awarded the Frank Tindall Trophy as the U Sports Coach of the Year.
Morris beat out St. FX’s Gary Waterman, Montreal’s Marco Iadeluca, and Wilfrid Laurier’s Michael Faulds for the honour. He is the first coach from Alberta to receive the award since Jerry Friesen in 2004.
The Golden Bears went 6-2 in conference play this season to finish second in the Canada West and were ranked inside the U Sports Top 10 for seven consecutive weeks. It was the school’s first winning season since 2005, culminating in a narrow Hardy Cup loss to the UBC Thunderbirds.
Alberta averaged 30.9 points per game in 2023, generating an average of 228 rushing yards — tops in the conference by over 60 yards. They ranked fourth in the nation in total offence, as Morris made his third career playoff appearance in the same city where he enjoyed a 14-year CFL career.
The Montreal Carabins will face off against the UBC Thunderbirds in the 58th Vanier Cup on Saturday, November 25 at 1:00 p.m. EST in Richardson Memorial Stadium in Kingston, Ont.
