Football Canada names Women’s National Team Coaching Staff

Ottawa, ON — Football Canada is proud to announce its Women’s National Team coaching staff which will help guide Canada at the 2013 International Federation of American (IFAF) Women’s World Championship in Helsinki, Finland.

Returning from the 2010 staff which captured silver in Sweden are François Bougie (head coach), Jeff Yausie(defensive coordinator), Jim Mather (offensive coordinator) and Craig Bachynski (defensive line) who will be joined by Jordan Coones (quarterbacks), Dan Houle (running backs), Cody Hasleth (defensive backs), Chris Hengen-Braun (offensive line), Olivier Eddie (receivers) and George Chippa (strength and conditioning).

Head coach François Bougie boasts over 20 years of coaching experience including head coach of the Montreal Blitz’ for their inaugural 2001 season in the Independent Women’s Football League (IWFL). In addition to a silver medal as Canada’s offensive line coach in 2010, Bougie’s international success includes leading Canada’s women to a gold medal at the 2010 IFAF Flag Football World Championships as well as silver in 2008.

Jeff Yausie is head coach of the back-to-back Western Women’s Canadian Football League (WWCFL) champion Saskatoon Valkyries. Yausie, a certified NCCP level 3 coach, has been a mainstay with the Saskatoon Hilltops of the CJFL, coaching linebackers the past 10 years. As a player he spent two years in the CFL with both Ottawa and Calgary.

Craig Bachynski has 26 years of coaching experience including the past four as head coach of the Manitoba Fearless of the WWCFL. A certified NCCP level 4 coach, Bachynski returns to the national team coaching staff after serving as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in 2010.

A product of the Outlook Blues 6-A-Side football team, Cody Halseth is currently the Valkyries defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach. He is also an assistant (defensive backs) at the University of Saskatchewan, where he played from 2009-2010.

On the offensive side of the ball, Jim Mather coached Canada’s receiving core at the inaugural IFAF Women’s World Championship in 2010. Currently head coach and offensive coordinator of the Saint John Storm of the Maritime Women’s Football League (MWFL), Mather has helped lead the Storm to three league championships in four appearances in his six years with the team.

As offensive coordinator, Jordan Coones helped the Montreal Blitz defeat the Sacramento Sirens in the 2012 IWFL championship game. Coones began with the Blitz in 2010 as receivers coach and is also head coach and offensive coordinator at Lindsay Place High School.

Dan Houle is a former player with both the Hilltops and Colts of the CJFL as well as the University of Saskatchewan Huskies. He currently coaches running backs at his alma mater, the University of Saskatchewan and holds the same position with the Valkyries in addition to offensive coordinator duties.

Chris Hengen-Braun currently coaches the Saskatoon Valkyries offensive line, the same position he has held at Aden Bowman Collegiate the previous six years. A former offensive lineman who played for Saskatchewan at the 2006 Football Canada Cup, before helping guide the Saskatoon Hilltops to two national championships in his five years in the CJFL.

Olivier Eddie most recently guided Team Atlantic’s offense at the 2012 Women’s Challenge Cup. A former Mount Allison University player, Eddie’s coaching résumé includes receiver coach with his alma mater as well as Fredericton Women’s Gladiators of the MWFL.

Rounding out the staff is George Chiappa, a certified strength and conditioning specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). He has been training and developing athletes from all sports and levels of performance for over 20 years, including former Olympians, professional athletes and the 2000 Vanier Cup champion University of Ottawa Gee-Gees.