Recruiting new Huskies football coach could prove difficult, says CIS member

The mysterious departure of longtime University of Saskatchewan football coach BrianTowrisscould make future candidates think twice about taking the job, says CIS Coaches Association president SteveSumarah.

"Brian's a legend in our world. His accomplishments are second to none," said Sumarah, the head football coach at Carleton University in Ottawa.

Towriss' squads have won nearly 200 games, more than any other coach in Canadian football history.

• Brian Towriss resigns as Huskies football head coach

Sumarah has coached with and against Towriss in big games such as the 1996 Vanier Cup. He marvelled at how Towriss guided his team to victory by overcoming an 11-0 halftime deficit.

"There was no panic; he was just calm but firm. He is so well-respected across the country," Sumarah said.

Towriss made the brief resignation announcement at a hastily organized news conference on Dec. 19. No senior representatives from the U of S attended or spoke afterward.

Towriss' departure a shock

Sumarah and others say they were shocked by the news. Towriss had a losing record in recent playoff contests, but the pair chatted at meetings this fall about plans for their teams in 2017.

Sumarah said the U of S football program grew immensely in stature, largely due to Towriss.

U of S president Peter Stoicheff released a statement on Tuesday saying the university's silence on Towriss' departure led to questions and speculation, but the decision was "not based upon any performance issues, health reasons or wrongdoing."

It says instead that "it was recognized that this is an appropriate time for change."

Stoicheffapologized for the way the situation was handled.

"Huskiesupporters and alumni, our current student athletes, and coaching staff deserved a far better communication and celebration of[Towriss'] longstanding commitment to excellence here."

Sumarahexpects a nationwide search to replace Towriss, but isn't sure how candidates will respond. He said any serious contender will want to speak first with Towriss before accepting the job.

"I think you'd kind of like to know what occurred, for sure," he said about the resignation, which Towriss called a "mutually acceptable agreement" in the statement.

"You don't want to walk into a hornet's nest as a coach. I mean, the biggest thing a coach can have and get is support. You want to know you're getting backing from the university."

Who decided Towriss should leave?

A university spokesperson said Stoicheff would not be doing any interviews on the subject of Towriss' resignation.

We've been truly blessed to have him as part of thefootballprogram, leading the way.- DianeJonesKonihowski,Husky Athletics board member

It's unclear who was involved in the discussions, althoughStoicheff approved the decision.

The current athletic director, Basil Hughton, has announced he's retiring. The dean of kinesiology, Chad London, just took office in October.

Huskie Athletics is being guidedby a new board of trustees. Chaired by Huskie football alumnus and major donor David Dube, the group held its first meeting on Dec. 7.

Towriss' status wasn't discussed, said board member Diane Jones Konihowski. Although she was away for the meeting, she was given a summary.

She was also surprised by the news. Jones Konihowski called Towrissone of the greatest coaches in U of S history alongside hockey coach Dave King, track coach Lyle Sanderson, volleyball coach Mark Tennant and basketball coach Lisa Thomaidis.

"We've been truly blessed to have him as part of thefootballprogram, leading the way," she said.