Jerry Friesen is a former award-winning

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line ...

in the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a Professional gridiron football, professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division (CFL), East Division and f ...

and is the

special teams coordinator A special teams coordinator (STC) is a Coach (sport), coach responsible for a gridiron football team's special teams unit. Generally, the special teams coordinator, offensive coordinator, and defensive coordinator represent the second level of a t ...

for the

Saskatchewan Huskies The Saskatchewan Huskies are the athletics teams representing the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The university began their athletics program in 1907 and has competed with others since 1911. They currently compete in eli ...

University career

A graduate of

University of Saskatchewan The University of Saskatchewan (U of S, or USask) is a Universities in Canada, Canadian public university, public research university, founded on March 19, 1907, and located on the east side of the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, Saskatch ...

, Friesen was 3-time all-star with the

Huskies Husky is a general term for a type of dog used in the polar regions, primarily and specifically for work as sled dogs. It refers to a traditional northern type, notable for its cold-weather tolerance and overall hardiness. Modern racing huskies ...

. In 1994, he was inducted into the Huskie Wall of Fame.

Professional career

Friesen was drafted in the second round, 14th overall, by the

Montreal Alouettes The Montreal Alouettes (Canadian French, French: ''Les Alouettes de Montréal'') are a professional Canadian football team based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1946, the team has disbanded twice and been re-established thrice. The Alouettes compe ...

in the 1978 CFL Draft and played in 48 regular season games with them. He then joined his hometown

Saskatchewan Roughriders The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division. The Roughriders were founded in 19 ...

for five years, winning the prestigious

Tom Pate Memorial Award Tom Pate Memorial Award, selected annually by the Canadian Football League Players' Association, is awarded to a player with outstanding sportsmanship and someone who has made a significant contribution to his team, his community and Association ...

for outstanding community service in 1985.

Coaching career

Friesen took up coaching after his playing days. He started with ''alma mater'' as an assistant coach for the

for 10 seasons, winning the

Vanier Cup The Vanier Cup () is the trophy awarded annually to the champion Canadian football team in U Sports, the governing body for university sports in Canada. The U Sports football champion is determined in a one-game playoff (the Vanier Cup game), pl ...

1990 Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...

. After a year as linebacker coach with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, he was the

defensive coordinator A defensive coordinator (DC) is a coach responsible for a gridiron football team's defense. Generally, the defensive coordinator, offensive coordinator and special teams coordinator represent the second level of a team's coaching structure, wit ...

with the

Calgary Dinos The Calgary Dinos are the athletic teams that represent the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. They were known as the "Dinosaurs" but usually referred to as the "Dinos" until 1999, when the name was officially shortened. Some of its venues ...

. He next spent 10 years as head coach of the

Alberta Golden Bears The Alberta Golden Bears and Pandas are the sports teams that represent the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Alberta athletics teams have won a total of 101 national championships, including 84 in U Sports sanctioned sports, ma ...

, being named CIS coach of the year in 2004, before he resigned to return to the Roughriders. He spent the 2011 season with the Roughriders, but was not retained following a disappointing season. On March 11, 2013, Friesen was announced as the

for the

UBC Thunderbirds The UBC Thunderbirds are the athletic teams that represent the University of British Columbia. In Canadian intercollegiate competition, the Thunderbirds are the most successful athletic program both regionally in the Canada West Universities Athl ...

. He spent two years with the Thunderbirds but was not retained following a head coaching change in 2015. On May 2, 2017, it was announced that Friesen had re-joined his alma mater and was named the

for the Saskatchewan Huskies.

Awards

In 2008, Friesen was enshrined in the ''Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame''.Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame- Jerry Friesen: Football (2008)
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Friesen, Jerry 1955 births Living people Canadian football linebackers Montreal Alouettes players Saskatchewan Roughriders players Saskatchewan Huskies football players Players of Canadian football from Saskatchewan Saskatchewan Roughriders coaches Saskatchewan Huskies football coaches Calgary Dinos football coaches Alberta Golden Bears football coaches UBC Thunderbirds football coaches