Voyageurs Add Three Full-Time Coaches to the Fold

The Voyageurs Athletics Department is excited to announce a trio of new hires.  The first two hires come from the pitch as the university has invested in full time coaches for both the women's and men's soccer programs.  The third hire will help support the development of all of the school's student-athletes with the creation of a high performance coordinator position, who will oversee the strength and conditioning, injury recovery, nutritional planning, and many other facets of well-being to allow the Voyageurs to compete at their highest level.

For Athletic Director, Peter Hellstrom, this is a much-needed evolution for the Voyageurs varsity programs.  "The ability to bring in a pair of full time coaches for our soccer programs is a fantastic and much needed opportunity," he commented.  "We have an extremely rich history of soccer at Laurentian and within the City of Sudbury and, while our programs were competitive, the demands and the expectations that were being placed on our part-time coaches was becoming unrealistic." 

"The additional commitment of a High Performance Coordinator will serve to benefit each and every one of our student-athletes.  Until now, the fitness, recovery, and general well-being of our student-athletes fell squarely on the shoulders of each of our coaches to manage.  Now that we have someone who is fully dedicated to this piece, it allows our coaches to focus more on the technical and tactical aspects of their sport, knowing that our student-athletes will be in the best physical position to perform.  I am very excited."

On the field, it will be a mix of familiar and new faces roaming the sidelines.  Tony Tagliafierro will retain his title of head coach of the men's program while Randy Ribeiro has been named the new head coach of the women's program.  Off the field, Jonathan Brown has been named the High Performance Coordinator.

Tagliafierro has been the head coach of the men's program for the past two seasons after serving as an assistant coach of the team for more than a decade prior. An alumnus of the program who was a 3-time OUA all-star, Tagliafierro also has extensive involvement with soccer at the local and provincial level, having led numerous boys' teams within the Greater Sudbury Soccer Club.

For Tagliafierro, being able to continue what he has started is key.  "I'm excited to be given this opportunity to continue to work with the program," he said. "It's been a long 2 years as we worked to make changes to how we operate and now we're fortunate to be able to continue that work.  The last few years we have worked as a staff to implement several initiatives to help the guys strive both athletically and academically. While implementing new concepts didn't always go smoothly, we feel that we have built a sufficient foundation for them to be successful while also allowing them to push themselves individually for the betterment of the team and program."

While earning the role cements him as the shepherd of the program going forward, Tagliafierro knows that this is another step forward, building off a strong foundation that was laid before him. "Entering my 20th season with this program, I often reflect back to what it was in my early years and the changes that have been made over the years. There have been some great people who've come through this program and I'm excited to take the lead as we enter into this new phase of the program."

Ribeiro joins the Voyageurs from London, ON, with a depth of experience at both the League 1 level and the post-secondary level.  A graduate of St. FX, where he was a 4-time AUS all-star and received All-Canadian honours in 2013, Ribeiro just finished guiding the Guelph United women to a sixth place finish in the League 1 Women's Premier division, their best finish ever in League 1.  Prior to Guelph, he was the head coach of both the men and the women at Electric City FC for two seasons while also guiding the women's team at Trent University last season.

"I am extremely thankful and excited for the opportunity to become the Head Coach of the Laurentian Women's Soccer program and I am eager to help build a competitive team," he said.  "As a former student-athlete that competed at the USPORTS level, I am well aware of how quickly the years go by. You don't get a lot of time to compete at this level and now being on the coaching side of the game, my goal is to ensure the student-athletes have the best experience they can possibly have. As coaches, we are not only here to develop great athletes but to develop and prepare these young adults for what is to come in the next stages of their life and career. If I can play a small part in helping these student-athletes be successful, both on and off the field, that is the ultimate measure of success for me."

Ribeiro knows that it will take a bit of time to get the program to the next level, commenting, "I think it is important to note that success doesn't happen overnight. There has been a foundation laid here and it is now my job to build on all the good work that has been done up to this point and take it to the next level. LU's vision for the Women's Soccer program was a big reason for me to step into the role. They want to see the program taken to the next level and for us to be competitive over the next few years and I have every intention of doing everything I can to get us there. I am looking forward to meeting all of the returning and incoming student-athletes and hit the ground running as the start of the OUA season is right around the corner."

While getting the job just two weeks out from training camp is not ideal, it is not unfamiliar territory for Ribeiro.  "Stepping in and working with a completely new team is always a challenge. Over my last three seasons I have faced a similar task during my time at Electric City FC, Trent University and in my current position as the head coach of Guelph United's League 1 Women's Premier Team. Coming into this role at Laurentian, it is my job to get the players to understand what our processes are, the level of professionalism and standards that we will hold ourselves to and the direction we want to go in. I am excited to share my coaching and playing philosophy with the players and have no question that we will strive to play a brand of football that Laurentian and the City of Sudbury will be proud of and enjoy watching."

Brown will be joining the Voyageurs from McMaster University where he has been working as a Performance Coach since 2016.  Working predominantly with the football and rugby programs at McMaster, he has also supported a number of other teams and has extensive experience with Hockey Canada and the Hamilton Bulldogs of the OHL.

As an alumnus of Laurentian from 2013, Brown is excited to have his career path bring him back to where it began over a decade ago.  "I believe there is a significant opportunity at Laurentian to build a high-performance culture around our already successful teams," he said.  "By adding a solid physiological foundation to athletes who possess excellent tactical and technical skills, we can elevate our performance to unprecedented levels. As a proud graduate of Laurentian University in 2013, I am excited to return, move my family closer to loved ones and give back to the institution and student-athletes who set me on this career path many years ago."

"My philosophy centers on an athlete-focused approach to performance," Brown mentions.  "Recognizing that athletes have diverse physical and performance characteristics, I understand that a one-size-fits-all strategy is ineffective. My goal is to develop a Strength & Conditioning culture at Laurentian in collaboration with sport coaches and athletes, ensuring our athletes are prepared for success both in and out of sport. I believe the traits and habits cultivated through sports training are instrumental in career success, and my aim is to enhance our athletes' skill sets to ensure they thrive in all aspects of life."

According to Hellstrom, the future is bright for the Voyageurs.  "After three national searches this summer, I am extremely confident that we have the right people in place to lead our programs.  Tony and Randy will help guide our soccer programs back to the top levels of OUA and U SPORTS soccer while Jon will be able to ensure that each and every one of our student-athletes are able to compete at the best of their ability.  It's an extremely exciting time for the Voyageurs and I can't wait to see where we go from here."

He will not have to wait long as training camps are set to begin on August 17th.