TORONTO – In a rematch of the 2005 Vanier Cup, U SPORTS football coaching legends Gary Jeffries and Brian Towriss have been named the Head Coaches of the 18^th edition of the U SPORTS East-West Bowl, taking place on Saturday May 7^th, hosted by the McMaster Marauders.

The East-West Bowl will be a rematch of the 41^st Vanier Cup where Jeffries' Golden Hawks defeated Towriss and the Huskies 24-23. In a game that saw five lead changes, Laurier overcame an eight-point fourth quarter deficit to take the lead with just 19 seconds left. Jeffries will call the shots for the East, which he also did back in 2006. 

He began his coaching career in 1972 as the linebackers and defensive line coach for the Golden Hawks after playing hockey for the Guelph Gryphons and football for both Guelph and Laurier as a student-athlete.
 
Jeffries served as the Golden Hawks defensive coordinator for 1981-88 while also serving as the Laurier women's basketball coach from 1984-88. In 1989, Jeffries took over as the men's basketball coach until 1996.
 
In 2002, he was named head coach of the Laurier football team, winning the program's second-ever Vanier Cup championship against Towriss and the Huskies in 2005. Jeffries continued his duties as head coach and manager of football operations until 2012. 

In his 10 years as head coach of Laurier's football team, he also captured two OUA Championship titles and was a four-time OUA Men's Football Coach of the Year - along with being named CIS Men's Football Coach of the Year in 2003.

He compiled a total career regular season record of 58-22.

From 2013-14, Jeffries was the special teams coordinator of the McMaster Marauders before joining the Gryphons from 2016-18 as an assistant coach. 

In 2019, he became the first inductee to the Legends of Laurier Football Hall of Fame prior to also being inducted to the Golden Hawks Hall of Fame in the builders category.

Towriss, who will call the plays for the West team, led the Saskatchewan Huskies to nine Vanier Cups, winning three championships and is member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.
 
He started his career at the University of Saskatchewan as a player in 1974-1977. Since then, Towriss has been involved in the Huskies coaching department for 37 years as both assistant coach and head coach. Towriss' reign of Head Coach spanned from 1984 to 2016.
 
As a head coach, Towriss led Saskatchewan to 11 Hardy Cup victories and was named Canada West Coach of the Year seven times, winning U SPORTS Coach of the Year in 1994.
 
The 18^th edition of the top prospect showcase will continue after a two-year hiatus as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and includes over 90 of the best and brightest athletes in Canadian University football.
 
The East-West Bowl was initiated in 2003 and is organized with the help of the Canadian University Football Coaches Association, in partnership with the Canadian Football League. The event brings together over 90 of the top U SPORTS football players for a week of practices and a combines evaluation camp, culminating with the annual prospects game.
 
All-time East-West Bowl Coaches
 
 

Year	Host	East Coach	West Coach
2021	McMaster	Gary Jeffries, Laurier	Brian Towriss, Saskatchewan
2019	Carleton	Glen Constantin, Laval	Greg Marshall, Western
2018	Laval	Cherif Nicolas, Bishop's	Greg Marshall, Western
2017	Laval	Gary Waterman, StFX	Wayne Harris Jr., Calgary
2016	McGill	Danny Maciocia, Montreal	Blake Nill, UBC
2015	McGill	Danny Maciocia, Montreal	Brian Dobie, Manitoba
2014	Western	Jeff Cummins, Acadia	Blake Nill, Calgary
2013	Western	Glen Constantin, Laval	Stefan Ptaszek, McMaster
2012	Western	Glen Constantin, Laval	Stefan Ptaszek, McMaster
2011	Western	Glen Constantin, Laval	Blake Nill, Calgary
2010	Western	Pat Sheahan, Queen's	Blake Nill, Calgary
2009	Western	Glen Constantin, Laval	Greg Marshall, Western
2008	McMaster	Steve Sumarah, Saint Mary's	Brian Dobie, Manitoba
2007	Laval	Denis Piché, Ottawa	Brian Towriss, Saskatchewan
2006	Laval	Gary Jeffries, Laurier	Brian Towriss, Saskatchewan
2005	Laurier	Glen Constantin, Laval	Brian Towriss, Saskatchewan
2004	Laurier	Blake Nill, Saint Mary's	Glen Constantin, Laval
2003	Laurier	Blake Nill, Saint Mary's	Brian Towriss, Saskatchewan

 
 




















-with files from U SPORTS