There will be some new faces on the sidelines when Carleton University’s football team takes the field next season, as the school’s athletics department announced the hiring of new offensive and defensive coordinators on Wednesday.
Nathaniel Griffith, who previously ran York University’s offence, will become the Ravens’ new offensive coordinator, while Ronald Hillaire, formerly the head coach at McGill University, will take over the team’s defence.
“I’m excited to move forward with these two men,” said head coach Corey Grant in a statement. “Their experience and leadership bring us great stability as our program prepares for the 2025 season.”
The hirings follow the completion of what the school described as a “national search” for new leadership after a disappointing 2024 campaign, where the Ravens posted a 2-6 record, finished eighth in the provincial standings, and failed to qualify for the playoffs.
Griffith, known as ‘Coach Shake,’ will join Carleton’s coaching staff after nearly a decade with York, though he was only promoted to associate head coach and offensive coordinator in 2023.
Last season, York went 2-6 in the regular season, also missing the playoffs. The team scored only 131 points over the entire regular season, which was the second-lowest total in Ontario last year, beating only the University of Toronto.
“I am extremely excited about the opportunity to come into this incredible program and add to an already outstanding coaching staff,” said Griffith in a statement. “I’m looking forward to instilling a culture of hard work and passion inside the offensive room and working with each student-athlete to help them become the best version of themselves on and off the field.”
Meanwhile, Hillaire, a defensive lineman who played collegiately at the University of Buffalo and was drafted by the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders, spent eight years leading McGill’s football program. He was relieved of his coaching duties after the 2023 season, following eight consecutive seasons with a losing record. In Hillaire’s final three years at McGill, the Redbirds only won a cumulative three games.
Grant said Hillaire will be a “great addition” to Carleton’s program.
“As a former head coach and defensive coordinator at the U SPORTS level, he has faced some of the top offences in the country and will be a great asset to our program,” said Grant. “Ronald’s experience with Football Canada and as a recruiting coordinator at the RSEQ level will further bolster our recruiting process.”
Carleton’s 2025 season will get underway on August 23, when they host the University of Toronto at TAAG Park on the school’s campus.
