Guelph Gryphons
Guelph Gryphons logo
First season1950
Athletic directorScott McRoberts
Head coachMark Surya
1st year, –  
Other staffDennis McPhee (DC)
Mark Surya (OC)
Home stadiumAlumni Stadium
Stadium capacity4,500
Stadium surfaceField Turf
LocationGuelph, Ontario
LeagueU Sports
ConferenceOUA (1980–present)
Past associationsOIFC (1957–1966)
CCIFC (1967–1970)
OUAA (1971–1973)
OQIFC (1974–1979)
All-time record– 
Postseason record– 
Titles
Vanier Cups1
1984
Churchill Bowls1
1984
Yates Cups4
1984, 1992, 1996, 2015
Hec Crighton winners0
ColoursRed, Black, and Gold[1]
     
OutfitterAdidas
RivalsWestern Mustangs
Waterloo Warriors
Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks
Websitegryphons.ca

The Guelph Gryphons football team represents the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario in the sport of Canadian football in the Ontario University Athletics conference of U Sports. The Guelph Gryphons football team has been in continuous operation since 1950.[2] The team has won one Vanier Cup national championship in 1984, which is also their only appearance in the title game. The Gryphons are the only program with a perfect record in Vanier Cup games. The team has also won four Yates Cup conference championships, in 1984, 1992, 1996 and 2015.

History

The team can trace their roots back to 1950 when the team played in the Intercollegiate Intermediate Football Union.[2] Through numerous league evolutions, the Gryphons were a founding member of the Ontario University Athletics in 1980 and continue to play there to this day.[3] The team won their first Yates Cup championship in 1984 and also won their first and only Vanier Cup championship that year against the Mount Allison Mounties. While the team was competitive in the 1990s and won two more Yates Cup championships in 1992 and 1996, the 1984 Vanier Cup was the program's only appearance in the title game.

The Gryphons on offense against the Concordia Stingers in 2010.

In the early 2000s, the program remained largely in the middle of the standings as the team had been at or within one game of .500 for six of those years and did not have a winning record at any point in the decade. However, led by then-head coach Kyle Walters, the upstart 4-4 Gryphons made a Yates Cup appearance in the 2007 OUA championship game, but lost to the Western Mustangs.

Stu Lang was named head coach for the 2010 season and the program established a dominant run.[4] The team finished with a 7–1 record and a 2nd-place finish for four straight seasons from 2012 to 2015, culminating in the program's fourth Yates Cup win in 2015.

Lang resigned after the successful 2015 season and Kevin MacNeill was named interim head coach for 2016. In the fall of 2017, the football team officially opened the Football Pavilion, a state of the art locker room and complex for the football team, and its coaches, donated by Lang.[5] The team continued to qualify for the playoffs and remain competitive under MacNeill, finishing 5–3 in 2017. However, the team was blown out in a 66-12 OUA semi-final loss to the Western Mustangs. After MacNeill left the program, Todd Galloway was named interim head coach for the 2018 season and led the team all the way to the Yates Cup where they were again soundly defeated by the Mustangs. Ryan Sheahan was named head coach on January 10, 2019 and led the team to a 6–2 record and third-place finish in his first season. The COVID-19 Pandemic cancelled the 2020 season. In the shortened 2021 season, the Gryphons dropped to 3-3, and fell even further during the 2022 season to 1-7 under Sheahan's hand. [6]

Recent season results

SeasonGamesWonLostOLPct %PFPAStandingPlayoffs
200083500.3751652105th in OUADid not qualify
200183500.3751642377th in OUALost to Ottawa Gee-Gees in OUA quarter-finals 38-15
200282600.2501022378th in OUALost to McMaster Marauders in OUA quarter-finals 71-11
200382600.2501612859th in OUADid not qualify
200484400.5001692385th in OUALost to Ottawa Gee-Gees in OUA quarter-finals 33-9
200583510.3752082426th in OUALost to Ottawa Gee-Gees in OUA quarter-finals 35-21
2006826-0.2502062178th in OUADid not qualify
2007844-0.5002781245th in OUADefeated McMaster Marauders in OUA quarter-finals 25-21
Defeated Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks in OUA semi-finals 38-31
Lost to Western Mustangs in Yates Cup 34-21
2008844-0.5002551734th in OUALost to Ottawa Gee-Gees in OUA quarter-finals 42-37
2009835-0.3753102536th in OUALost to Western Mustangs in OUA quarter-finals 37-18
2010844-0.5001591925th in OUALost to Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks in OUA quarter-finals 42-10
2011826-0.2502091978th in OUADid not qualify
2012871-0.8752512092nd in OUADefeated Queen's Golden Gaels in OUA semi-finals 42-39
Lost to McMaster Marauders in Yates Cup 30-13
2013871-0.8752521392nd in OUALost to Queen's Golden Gaels in OUA semi-finals 34-17
2014871-0.8753431742nd in OUADefeated Western Mustangs in OUA semi-finals 51-26
Lost to McMaster Marauders in Yates Cup 20-15
2015871-0.8754042222nd in OUADefeated Carleton Ravens in OUA semi-finals 33-21
Defeated Western Mustangs in Yates Cup 23-17
Lost to Montreal Carabins in Mitchell Bowl 25-10
2016835-0.3752442276th in OUALost to McMaster Marauders in OUA quarter-finals 17-11
2017853-0.6252931965th in OUADefeated Ottawa Gee-Gees in OUA quarter-finals 30-8
Lost to Western Mustangs in OUA semi-finals 66-12
2018853-0.6252361753rd in OUADefeated Waterloo Warriors in OUA quarter-finals 45-34
Defeated Ottawa Gee-Gees in OUA semi-finals 27-22
Lost to Western Mustangs in Yates Cup 63-14
2019862-0.7502421423rd in OUADefeated Carleton Ravens in OUA quarter-finals 22-17
Lost to McMaster Marauders in OUA semi-finals 19-9
2020 Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021633-0.500140863rd in OUA WestDefeated Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks in OUA quarter-finals 31-18
Lost to Western Mustangs in OUA semi-finals 33–12
2022817-0.1251583199th in OUADid not qualify
2023835-0.3752482148th in OUADid not qualify

[7][8]

National award winners

Guelph Gryphons in the CFL

As of the end of the 2023 CFL season, 11 former Gryphons players are on CFL teams' rosters:

[9]

References

  1. ↑ "Guelph Gryphon Brand Guidelines". Guelph Gryphons. August 15, 2019. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Football - History" (PDF). Guelph Gryphons. April 15, 2019. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  3. ↑ Watkins, Robert. "A History of Canadian University Football". cisfootball.org. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  4. ↑ "Stu Lang - 2011-12 Football Coaching Staff". Guelph Gryphons. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  5. ↑ "The Pavilion at Alumni Stadium Officially Opens". Guelph Gryphons. October 2, 2017.
  6. ↑ "Ryan Sheahan Named Head Coach of Gryphon Football". Guelph Gryphons. January 10, 2019.
  7. ↑ "Bob Adams CIS Sportspage". Chebucto Community Net. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  8. ↑ "U Sports football standings". U Sports. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  9. ↑ "CFL players". Canadian Football League. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
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