Athletics and Recreation announced today that assistant coach and defensive coordinator Ryan Bechmanis will be the acting head coach while the search for the Gaels new head coach is conducted.
 
"We are very appreciative of Ryan's stepping into this role and have great confidence in his leadership and capabilities with both our student-athletes and program operations" says Leslie Dal Cin, Executive Director, Queen's Athletics & Recreation.
 
Bechmanis is a former Gael himself, playing five years for the tricolour from 2001 to 2005, after which he joined the coaching staff and served as coach of the defensive backs before adding special teams coordinator to his title. His tenure included the Vanier Cup campaign of 2009. He left Queen's after the 2011 season to join the Carleton Ravens as their defensive coordinator and returned in February as the defensive coordinator for the Gaels.
 
The next head coach will be just the fifth to lead the Queen's football program in the last 70 years following in the footsteps of Frank Tindall (1939, 1948-1975), Doug Hargreaves (1976-1994), Bob Howes (1995-1999) and Pat Sheahan (2000-2018).