Mike Gibson named Rams head coach

The University of Regina announced Monday that Mike Gibson, acoach with extensive experience at both the professional andcollegiate levels, has been named the head coach of the Ramsfootball program.

Gibson has been an assistant coach in the Canadian Football Leaguefor the past 10 seasons, including last year as the offensivecoordinator and offensive line coach for the expansion OttawaREDBLACKS. Prior to that, he was with the Calgary Stampeders forthree seasons - as a running backs coach during the 2011 campaignand as an offensive line coach in both 2012 and 2013.

"Our entire club is extremely proud to have Mike Gibson as our headcoach," Rams president Dean Picton said. "Mike is an impressive andenergetic person who is passionate about coaching football and hasgreat coaching experiences both in the NCAA and the CFL. We allfeel very fortunate that Mike has come to the University of ReginaRams to lead our young men. His hiring shows that our entireprogram is committed to excellence in the classroom, on thefootball field, and in our community."

Gibson is already familiar with Regina, having been an offensiveline coach with the Saskatchewan Roughriders for two seasonsincluding their Grey Cup-winning 2007 campaign. He also hadtwo-season stints with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2005-2006) andHamilton Tiger-Cats (2009-2010), serving as the offensive linecoach and offensive coordinator at both stops. His first coachingposition in the CFL came during the 2001 season with the BlueBombers.

He also has over two decades of NCAA experience at the Div. Ilevel, most recently at the University of Louisiana at Lafayettewhere he was an offensive line coach for the Ragin' Cajuns duringthe 2002, 2003, and 2004 seasons. Gibson has also coached at BostonUniversity, Rice, Temple, Colgate, and Rutgers.

Gibson earned his Bachelor of Arts in political science fromWestern Maryland College - now known as McDaniel College - where hewas a three-year starter at centre for the Green Terror.

The search committee was chaired by Kinesiology & HealthStudies dean Harold Riemer and also included Chris Briltz, KimDorsch, Brian Eltom, Aadon Fieger, and SarahHodges. The selection of Gibson as head coach wasunanimously approved by the Regina Rams Board of Directors onSaturday.

Gibson officially assumes his duties as head coach on Jan. 1. Hebecomes just the second head coach of the Rams since the programmade the jump to the CIS level prior to the 1999 season.