Regina Rams’ Rick Seaman receives 2014 Football Canada Gino Fracas Award

Montréal, QC – November 27, 2014 – Rick Seaman has been honoured as the 2014 Football Canada Gino Fracas Award recipient presented to the CIS Assistant Coach of the Year.

Rick Seaman has been an assistant with the Regina Rams for 31 years, joining the team as a receivers coach in 1984. Under Rick’s guidance, the Rams have enjoyed a talented group of receivers including future professionals Chris Bauman, Jason Clermont, Chris Getzlaf, and Jon Ryan and All-Canadians Shane Ostapowich, Brenden Owens, and Addison Richards.

Coach Seaman was a full-time high school mathematics teacher until 1994, when he became a professor in the University of Regina’s Faculty of Education. He earned his Ph.D in Education from the University of Regina in 1995 and received the 1996 Wilfred R. Wees Doctoral Thesis Award from the Canadian College of Teachers.

A dedicated volunteer for nearly 50 years which included coaching at both the community and high school levels, Rick was one of the first to receive a level 4 coaching certification in football.

“Rick has been a totally committed coach from the first day he stepped on the field,” Rams Head Coach Frank McCrystal said. “He combines teaching methodology with classroom instruction and on-field practicum. He’s exceptionally prepared with a clear vision of what he intends to communicate.”

About the Gino Fracas Award

This award is named to honour a man who has made a lifetime of outstanding contributions to amateur football. Gino Fracas moved right into a coaching role after his days with the Edmonton Eskimos with the University of Alberta head coach position. He led them to three league championships in the next four years. In 1963 his team won the Golden Bowl, the unofficial university National Championship and he also appeared in the very first Canadian College Bowl in 1965.

He was highly respected and admired for his dedication and commitment to the great sport of Canadian football. 2011 proves to be another great accomplishment by Gino, almost two years after his passing Gino was entered into the CFL Hall of Fame on September 17th, 2011 under the builder category.

The award created by Football Canada to pay recognition to the assistant coach that provides endless hours to improve the experience for the players and to support the other coaches. This award will ensure we continue to be able to recognize Gino’s legacy within the game of football as it also continues to recognize the contribution of the assistant coach.

This post is also available in: French