For the past 18 years, Greg Marshall set the standard for excellence at Western University. After winning two Vanier Cups and nine Yates Cups while leading the Mustangs, he is stepping away, and the school has to figure out what is next for its football program.
This won’t be your typical U Sports coaching search. Jobs at blue-blood programs rarely come open — and the top job at Western never does. In the last 50 years, the Mustangs have only had three head coaches, all legends in their own right: Darwin Semotiuk, Larry Haylor, and Marshall.
When Marshall was hired, he was fresh off a stint as head coach with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, which was preceded by four-straight Yates Cup wins at McMaster University. It’s unlikely Western hands a job to an unproven commodity, and school leadership is expected to prioritize candidates with pre-existing ties to the university.
With that context in mind, here are ten people who could be hired as Western’s next head coach, as sourced by 3DownNation reporters Justin Dunk, John Hodge, and JC Abbott.
THE No. 1 candidate
Michael Faulds — head coach, Wilfrid Laurier University
If you have to replace a legend, why not go out and get the best? Faulds has won back-to-back U Sports Coach of the Year awards while turning the Golden Hawks into a juggernaut in the OUA. He also happens to be the greatest quarterback in Western’s history, leading the program to two Yates Cup wins in the early days of Marshall’s tenure. The Eden Mills, Ont., native may be locked in with the Golden Hawks through 2030 thanks to a long-term extension signed in January 2025, but the Lane Kiffin saga in the NCAA has shown us existing contracts aren’t a deal-breaker in university sports. Buying out Faulds would bring home an icon, create a massive offseason splash, and kneecap a rival in the process.
Coaches with Western ties
Chris Bertoia — head coach, University of Waterloo
The London, Ont. native spent six seasons as the Mustangs’ offensive line coach from 2009 to 2014 alongside Marshall and then took over with the Warriors. He has helped Waterloo punch above their weight class at times, earning OUA Coach of the Year honours in 2017 and producing a Hec Crighton Trophy winner in Tre Ford, but has also fallen victim to the program’s limitations. He has the experience and reputation to do more with Western’s resources, but may not want to leave his alma mater, where he won two Yates Cups as a player.
Stevenson Bone — head coach, University of Alberta
Bone has only been on the job with the Golden Bears for one season after taking over for Chris Morris, and his 1-7 record was far from stunning. However, joining a program like Western would effectively accelerate what the up-and-coming young offensive mind wants to accomplish in that role. He’s a former Mustangs quarterback who won a Vanier Cup in 2017 and developed an elite offence as the coordinator at the University of British Columbia. The next generation Bone offers a unique recruiting network due to his time in the Canada West. His dad Jamie Bone won two Vanier Cups (1976, 1977) and a Hec Crighton Trophy while at Western (1978).
Jean-Paul Circelli — head coach, University of Windsor
Another recent Marshall protégé, Circelli hails from London, Ont., played under the legendary coach at McMaster, and later was his offensive line coach from 2015 until 2018. Since taking over with the Lancers, he’s transformed the program from perennial basement dwellers into legitimate contenders thanks to innovative recruiting and a commitment to the ground game. He understands what makes Western great, and a return home would undoubtedly make his job easier
Mickey Donovan — special teams coordinator, Toronto Argonauts
Donovan is one of the best in the CFL at what he does, winning two Grey Cups with Toronto while producing two Most Outstanding Special Teams Players. However, the transition the Argos have gone through in the current offseason could cause him to reassess his priorities. A former player for Marshall with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, he served as his linebackers coach, special teams coach, and recruiting coordinator when he first arrived at Western and later rose to become a U Sports head coach in his own right at Concordia University. The top job at a place like Western offers better pay, more autonomy, and greater security than most CFL coordinator positions, which could be intriguing for the 45-year-old.
Steve Snyder — head coach, Queen’s University
After twice falling short to the Mustangs, Snyder finally got his Yates Cup win with the Gaels in 2025. The former U Sports Coach of the Year could win a lot more in the future by returning to his biggest rival, where he was offensive coordinator in 2017 and 2018. The London native’s play-calling helped his hometown school win their first Vanier Cup in 23 years, so he understands the culture required to be victorious at Western.
Internal candidates
Paul Gleason — defensive coordinator, Western University
When you already have a perennial contender, there is no sense in upsetting the status quo. Gleason has been with the Mustangs since 1998 — nine years before Marshall came on the scene — and has been the team’s defensive coordinator since 2003, save for a one-year sabbatical in 2012. His steady hand has consistently given Western one of the best units in the country, producing many CFL prospects. He’s worthy of the head coaching mantle, though it may be too late in his career to truly take advantage of the opportunity.
Gaetan Richard — offensive coordinator, Western University
Good programs often promote from within when there is a change at the top, and Richard would ensure Western’s ground-and-pound identity remains unadulterated. The Dieppe, N.B. native first joined the program in 2019 after 11 seasons at Mount Allison and has engineered some exceptional seasons from Evan Hillock, Keon Edwards, and Ethan Dolby to name a few. He was a part of Western’s Vanier Cup win in 2021 and would maintain continuity if hired.
Up-and-comers
Mark Surya — head coach, University of Guelph
Surya started his U Sports coaching career with Faulds at Wilfrid Laurier in 2013. The Burlington, Ont. native was elevated to offensive coordinator and helped the Golden Hawks win their first Yates Cup since 2005 in 2016 as offensive play-caller. He took over the bench boss job with the Gryphons entering the 2024 season, recording a 6-2 regular season record in his rookie head coach year. The 37-year-old beat Marshall in his last ever game at Western via a walk-off rouge 18-17 in a 2025 OUA quarterfinal match-up. It would be an outside the box hire, but Surya’s proven he can be a culture-builder and guide consistently competitive teams in two short years as a head coach.
Todd Galloway — offensive coordinator, Wilfrid Laurier University
If the Mustangs were able to poach Faulds away from Laurier, Galloway would be the runaway favourite to become the Golden Hawks’ next head coach. If Western can’t land the prize candidate, he’d offer far more than a consolation prize. The Kitchener, Ont. native has been responsible for an offence which produced the last two Hec Crighton Trophy winners and sent quarterback Taylor Elgersma to the NFL. Galloway assumed head coaching duties on an interim basis for Guelph in 2018, guiding the Gryphons to a 5-3 regular season and a spot in the Yates Cup. His only knock is a lack of ties to the Mustangs, which some view as a prerequisite for this job.
Mason Nyhus — assistant head coach & offensive coordinator, University of Saskatchewan
The youngest candidate on this list, Nyhus only wrapped up his playing career with the Huskies in 2022, but has an impressive enough pedigree to merit consideration already. As the quarterbacks coach for the University of British Columbina, he helped Garrett Rooker lead the team to a Vanier Cup appearance, and did the same in his first season as the coordinator in Saskatchewan despite significant adversity at the QB position. It won’t be long before the former Canada West MVP lands a top job somewhere, though his lack of connection to the Mustangs makes him a long shot for the position.
