Speakers, Coaches & Instructors

Coach Morris was named 2023 USports Coach of the year as he lead the University of Alberta Golden Bears in an extremely successful season. Originally from Scarborough, Ont., Morris holds two degrees (bachelor of physical and health education – University of Toronto 1995 and bachelor of education – University of Alberta 1997), is a two-time CIS all-Canadian while playing for the University of Toronto Varsity Blues, and he won the J.P. Metras Trophy as the most outstanding down lineman in the country in 1990. Coach Morris played with the Edmonton Eskimos,  was a team captain, and he played in five Grey Cup games with the Esks, winning three (1993, 2003, and 2005), and was given a plaque on the Eskimos’ Wall of Honour in Commonwealth Stadium in 2008.

Cory Philpot is a Canadian football coach and a former professional running back who is currently the head Provincial, Head Coach for the British Columbia Provincial Football Association.  Cory was the head coach of CJFL team, the Langley Rams when they won the 2021 Canada Bowl. 

He played for eight seasons in the Canadian Football League for the BC Lions and Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He played on the Lions' winning Grey Cup team in 1994.

This BC Lions offensive lineman has been one of the most active members amongst the club’s community programs since he joined in 2018. Andrew Peirson, the Kingston, Ontario native, was nominated in 2019 and 2021 for the Tom Pate Award for players that contribute to the team and the community. Throughout 20 appearances in orange and black, Peirson, the ultimate teammate, not only helps others, but he’s also planning ahead on his career after football.

Good stuff has happened indeed. Peirson earned a CFL-best Pro Football Focus grade of 86.0 amongst pass blockers after week one. While you can point to many factors responsible for the Lions’ 3-0 start, this new-look offensive line has been a major part of the squad’s early success. 

The 28-year-old enters his fourth season with the BC Lions after finishing with 2023 with 95 punts for 4,439 yards (46.7-yard average) and 67 kickoffs for 4,144 yards (61.9-yard average).

Flintoft was signed to the Lions' practice roster after the team's 2021 training camp before taking over punting duties on the third week of the season.

He led the CFL with an average of 48.3 yards per punt and was third with a 37.3-yard net average that season, which earned him the Lions' nomination for outstanding special teams player.

Katie is the Technical lead as Athlete and Coach Development Manager for Football Canada. She also represents Pacific Sport Fraser Valley as Manager, Physical Literacy & Community Sport Programs.

Katie, a long time athlete and advocate for sport, played for Canada in Basketball and Flag Football.

Pat Tracey enters his eighth season as the defensive coordinator with the UBC football program.  He was a defensive assistant on the 2015 Vanier Cup championship squad.
The three-time Vanier Cup champion, 4x National Medalist | Canada-Cup, 2x World Championship Medalist | Team Canada, has guided the T-Birds to three Hardy Cup finals.  
Prior to UBC, Tracey spent over a decade with Queen’s (OUA), where he served as defensive coordinator, special teams coach, and recruiting coordinator. He was part of three OUA coaching staff of the year honours in 2001, 2007 and 2008, the last of which included national recognition. 
Tracey’s overall defensive career rankings include: 151 career wins (2nd), 109 Academic All-Canadians (1st), 103 conference All-Stars (1st), 42 CFL draft picks (1st), 39 All-Canadians (1st), 5 first round draft picks (2nd), 14 career shutouts (3rd), and 14 conference award winners.

Four-time CFL All-Star and two-time Grey Cup Champion linebacker A.J. Gass joined the Golden Bears football coaching staff in 2021.
Gass is the Golden Bears defensive coordinator. 
The Bellflower, California native spent his entire professional career playing with the Edmonton Eskimos Football Team (1998-2007), helping the Green & Gold capture the Grey Cup in 2003 and 2005. Gass spent eight of those years playing alongside Bears head coach Chris Morris.
In 131 career CFL games, Gass amassed 440 defensive tackles, 92 special teams tackles, 12 sacks, eight forced fumbles, 22 tackles for losses, and three interceptions.
Following his retirement from the CFL in 2008, Gass transitioned into coaching, spending the 2008 season as a defensive consultant with Edmonton, before spending five years, including three as their head coach, with the Servite High School Friars program in Anaheim, California.
Gass would return to the Edmonton Football Team in 2019 as the team's special teams coordinator.
 

Stevenson Bone enters his second season at UBC after being hired as the Thunderbirds’ offensive coordinator and quarterback coach in July of 2022.
Bone came from the University of Guelph where he was the manager of football operations in addition to being the quarterbacks & running backs coach from 2019-21. Prior to his time with the Gryphons he held positions in football operations with the Canadian Football League Head Office and the Toronto Argonauts.
During UBC’s 2022 campaign Bone oversaw an offense which averaged 440 yards per game (fifth nationally) and was the number one rushing team in Canada West. Three members of his offence were selected as All-Canadians.
Highly regarded as a QB coach, Bone is in his fifth-year coaching quarterbacks at the prestigious Manning Passing Academy in Thibodeaux, Louisiana, the only Canadian coach to hold this position.
Bone has coached at the annual U SPORTS All-Star East-West Bowl game, serving as quarterbacks coach in 2022; was head football coach of the OSFL Guelph Jr. Gryphons in 2022; and from 2014-2018 worked with the OVFL London Jr. Mustangs organization as the OC & QB Coach. A two time Academic All-Canadian during his playing career as a quarterback with the Western University Mustangs, Bone won the National Championship Vanier Cup in 2017 and OUA Championships in 2013 & 2017.

Jordan Played at UBC from '91 to '94, is an

NCCP Level III Certified Defensive Coordinator and has been coaching for 34 years, most notably as Defensive Back Coach at SFU (2007 to 2009 and 2018), Defensive Back Coach at UBC (2015 tp 2017), Defensive Back Coach at University of Alberta (2023 to present), Defensive Coordinator and Defensive Back Coach at Notre Dame HS (2019 to 2023), Defensive Coordinator and Defensive Backs Coach Team BC (2013 to 2016 and 2019 to 2023). 

UBC Offensive Line Coach, Dan Dorazio has a wealth of experience dating back to his time at Kent State University in 1972 and has built a reputation as an offensive line "guru".  

Dorazio has coached at many levels including stops at NCAA Div 1 programs University of Hawaii (1975-1977), University of Washington (1979-1984-88), Georgia Tech (1982-83) and the University of Maryland (1992-96).  Dorazio also has deep roots in the CFL coaching with Calgary (1998-02), BC (2003-14, 2016-18), Saskatchewan (2015) and most recently the Toronto Argonauts in 2019.  Since beginning his career with the Calgary Stampeders in 1998, Dorazio has won four Grey Cups and produced four Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman award winners. Prior to the CFL, Dorazio spent 26 years coaching in the NCAA. 

UBC Defensive Line Coach, Noah Cantor played with the University of Saint Mary's Huskies from 1990 to 1994. He was signed as a free agent by the Toronto Argonauts on February 28, 2003. He re-signed with Toronto February 24, 2004.

In 2006 he announced his retirement from the CFL on April 13, but returned from retirement and signed a contract with Toronto on August 10. On April 17, 2007, Cantor retired for a second time from the Argonauts to focus on the Vancouver hamburger restaurant chain that he co-owns, "Vera's Burger Shack."

Amongst many of the achievements in his CFL career, Noah won four Grey Cup championships. The first two occurred in 1996/97 with the Toronto Argonauts, in his second and third seasons with both the team and in the league. The third championship came in his sixth season in the CFL, his third consecutive with the B.C Lions, in 2000. He set a record of 32 tackles that season. His final Grey Cup came in 2004 while once again playing with the Argos, in his tenth year in the league. It was the second year of a four-year stint with the team. He retired from the league after twelve productive seasons.

UBC Running Backs Coach, Josh Martin was a student at UBC who played with the Thunderbirds as a Receiver. He then transitioned into his current   role as a Running Backs Coach. Josh is an avid volunteer and also coaches Team BC U16 Receivers.

Richard White has been the head coach for Team BC U 16 program since 2020. Richard was the Regional Director and Linebacker Coach for the BCPFA Vancouver North Football Academy from 2020 to 2023 Coach White brings years of experience as a University and CFL Professional player, a University, High School, and Community Coach, and as a football parent.

Player Highlights: * 4 years SFU * 4 years Saskatchewan Roughriders * 1 year BC Lions * 3 years professional, Glasgow Lions Football team in Glasgow Scotland.

Coach Highlights: * 3 years Regional Director BCPFA Vancouver North Football Academy* 4 years Head Coach Team BC U16 *2 Silver Medals at the Football Canada U 16 Western Challenge * 2 years University position Coach* 35 years coaching High School and Community Football * Attended 5 provincial championships, winning 3 * Head coach at the International and National level for other elite sports * Holds a NCCP Level III Coaching Certificate and a NCCP Comp Dev Certification.

Richard has worked with and coached many players that have played at the University level and on to professional ranks, like Mark Reid BC Lions, Will Loftus Montreal and Edmonton Eskimos, Vince Danielson Calgary Stampeders, Chris Burns Saskatchewan Roughriders, Evan Currie Pforzheim Football team in the German football league, Ethan Dahl Argyle Secondary School, Vit Shevchenko at Clearwater Academy International in Florida. He also coached a mentored his own son who is the leading receiver for the D1 University of Montana Grizzles.