Under Ryan Bechmanis leadership, the Gaels defense has consistently been among the top in the OUA. In the 2024 season, Queen's finished the regular season with a 5-3 record, ranking fifth in the OUA. The team secured a 22-19 victory over the Windsor Lancers in the quarterfinals but fell 29-21 to the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks in the semifinals. Throughout the season, the defense allowed 261 points over eight games, reflecting Bechmanis's continued impact on the team's performance.
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Bechmanis is in his 13th season with the Gaels coaching staff and seventh as the Defensive Coordinator. He also added Assistant Head Coach to his duties after the hiring of Head Coach Steve Snyder in 2019.
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Bechmanis played five seasons for the Tricolour from 2001 to 2005, after which he joined the coaching staff and served as the Defensive Backs Coach before adding Special Teams Coordinator to his title as well. He was a member of the coaching staff when Queen's won the Vanier Cup in 2009.
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He also spent seven years on the Carleton Ravens coaching staff as the Defensive Coordinator, helping build the Ravens program from the ground up into a nationally-ranked contender.
