WATERLOO, Ont. - The Laurier Golden Hawks football program has announced the hiring of Zach Scotto as its assistant coach, recruiting and student-athlete development.
Scotto (BA '16, BEd '19) now joins the program full-time after making a strong impact as a part-time coach.
Hailing from Southampton, Ont., he played for the Golden Hawks from 2011 to 2014 and returned to coach in 2016.
A two-time Laurier graduate, Scotto earned his Bachelor of Arts in 2016 before completing his Bachelor of Education in 2019.
"Laurier is home - I was a student-athlete here, I got my Bachelor of Education here, and I met my wife here," said Scotto. "I bleed purple and gold, and I couldn't be more grateful to Todd (Galloway) and the rest of the hiring committee for giving me the opportunity to contribute to my home in a full-time role. I'm extremely excited to get to work and continue to build on the recent success of the program."
Scotto began his coaching tenure as an assistant offensive line coach from 2016 to 2019 before taking on expanded responsibilities, including run game coordinator and academic tracking coach. In his role working with the offensive line, he has been responsible for individual player development, protection schemes and technical execution, helping drive sustained success for Laurier's quarterbacks and skill-position players at the national level.
That success translated into multiple first-team U SPORTS All-Canadian quarterbacks, including a Hec Crighton Trophy recipient in
Taylor Elgersma, as well as a Hec Crighton-winning receiver in
Ethan Jordan and consistent OUA all-star recognition from 2022 to 2025 and consecutive U SPORTS All-Canadian selections.
Scotto also oversaw offensive line units that produced all-stars, All-Canadians, U SPORTS East-West Bowl participants, and athletes who advanced to the CFL Draft and professional opportunities.
During that time, he helped guide the Golden Hawks to Yates Cup championships in his first season in 2016 and again in 2024, while also contributing to five Yates Cup appearances overall.
In 2023, Scotto was recognized as the Ontario University Athletics Football Volunteer Coach of the Year - becoming the youngest recipient since the award's inception and the first Golden Hawks coach to earn the honour since 2009.
Beyond his work with the Golden Hawks, Scotto also built an extensive coaching résumé at the grassroots level with the Cambridge Lions of the Cambridge Minor Football Association from 2016 to 2023.
Over that span, he held a variety of roles, including offensive line coach, run game coordinator, recruiting coordinator, offensive coordinator and associate head coach. Working with athletes aged 16 to 18, he helped develop more than 20 offensive linemen who went on to earn university football commitments.
In his new role, Scotto will focus on enhancing Laurier's recruiting efforts while also expanding support systems for student-athletes, with an emphasis on development beyond football. His familiarity with the program, offensive systems, and student-athlete experience is expected to provide immediate impact.
"We couldn't be more excited with the addition of Zach in the full-time role," said Galloway, Laurier's manager of football operations and head coach. "After a national search, it was clear he was the right fit for this position and the needs of our student-athletes. With Zach's history as both a part-time coach here at Laurier and an alum of the program, he will be able to hit the ground running and know how to add value the Laurier way.
"In the short term, Zach will help immediately with our recruiting efforts, but will also help grow our capacity to support our student-athletes off the field. The knowledge he already brings to the offence will allow me to lean on him more as well as our run game coordinator."
Scotto has officially begun his duties in the role as the Golden Hawks continue preparations for the upcoming season.
