Ottawa West
 

Ravens name Sumarah football head coach

Posted Jan 26, 2012 By Eddie Rwema



Click to Enlarge
 Steve Sumarah was named the 13th head coach of the Carleton University Ravens varsity football program at a press conference on Jan. 16.
Submitted
Steve Sumarah was named the 13th head coach of the Carleton University Ravens varsity football program at a press conference on Jan. 16.
EMC Sports - The long anticipated revival of football at Carleton University now looks imminent.

On Jan. 16, the university named Steve Sumarah the 13th head coach of the Ravens varsity football program.

Sumarah has been coaching in the Atlantic University Sport conference for the past 17 years and comes to Carleton after spending the last six seasons as head coach of the Saint Mary's University Huskies.

The newly hired coach began his work on Jan. 23 and said he's got a ton of work to do to build a team that will hit field in 2013 after a 14-year absence.

"There are very few opportunities in life to be able to start something from the beginning," said Sumarah.

The Carleton Ravens football team was cut in 1999 after the restructuring of the department of recreation and athletics and the university administration.

Since then, the Old Crow Society - Carleton's football alumni chapter - have been working to revive the program.

Sumarah said he is happy and proud to lead the Ravens football program into its new era.

"To be honest, it is a fantastic opportunity and exciting," he said. "I think this is a phenomenal opportunity."

As head coach of St. Mary's University Huskies, he led the team to four consecutive AUS titles, a Uteck Bowl championship and a trip to the Vanier Cup in 2007, and was named the AUS coach of the year three times.

In a statement, Carleton president Roseann O'Reilly Runte said she was pleased Sumarah will coach the Ravens from their first year.

"Coach Sumarah has an outstanding record of mentoring student-athletes and working with the community. We look forward to watching him build on Carleton's tradition of excellence in varsity sports."

Eddie.rwema@metroland.com




blog comments powered by Disqus