Football: Brian Towriss retires at Saskatchewan after 33 seasons, record 196 wins

To put it in perspective how long Brian Towriss has graced the Canadian football landscape: he started coaching the Saskatchewan Huskies right around the time that Laurier coach Michael Faulds was born.

Or if you'll indulge a personal note: my brother bought his first home this year. He was born in 1984, Towriss' first year at the reins in the Bridge City. Talk about longevity: 33 seasons, encompassing a record 315 games and 196 wins, with 11 conference titles and three Vanier Cups (1990, '96 and '98) is very self-explanatory. The hometown StarPhoenix mentions that Towriss' postseason record was very spotty over the last 10 seasons, but it certainly was not for any lack of trying. Saskatchewan also had a heartbreaking 39-38 loss to Calgary in the 2009 Hardy, which could have been a last hurrah.

Don't tell me that #USports Football doesn't have a following when the Brian Towriss story trends #2 in Canada. @KrownCountdownU pic.twitter.com/pAnbL3BwSP

— Jim Mullin (@Jim_Mullin) December 19, 2016

.@SKHuskies Towriss coached 154 all-stars, 71 All-Canadians and 47 who played in the @CFL over his 33 seasons. @cwuaa @Usports

— Krown Countdown U (@KrownCountdownU) December 19, 2016

With Saskatchewan bring in a new governance model for sports and athletics director Basil Hughton retiring in June (as noted by CBC), the timing is probably right to start a transition. Hughton's comment that Towriss is the "ultimate team player" alludes to that.

Saskatchewan will likely have a successor in place within the next two months.


As a treat to close off the post, a lost classic: David Earl, Rob Symchuk, Dan Farthing and the Huskies winning the school's first Vanier Cup in their first appearance in 1990. Good times, and the other Huskies would get payback 12 years later.