by John Austen

Pete Regimbald has a lot of friends, and hundreds of them — Concordia alumni, friends and family — showed up last Saturday night as the Concordia football program roasted the long-serving assistant coach, who is retiring from his full-time job as assistant registrar at the university. The event took place at John Molson Hall in Montreal.

Peter’s wife Diane was on hand, but his son Scott, who plays for the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders, could not make it in.

Stinger head coach Gerry McGrath, who was full of praise for Regimbald.

“The football team and the alumni wanted to commemorate Coach Reg with a special dinner to celebrate the positive impact he has had on so many young men at Loyola and Concordia,” McGrath said. “Of course, we couldn’t let him get away without poking a little fun at him — and being the good sport that he is, Pete has provided more than 30 years of ammunition.”

Though he steps down from his duties in the Registrar’s Office, he will step up his commitment to football and the Department of Recreation and Athletics.

“I would like to stay close to the student-athletes,” said Regimbald, who has been with the Loyola and Concordia football programs for more than 30 years. “I believe that given my years of experience I have a lot to offer in both the athletic and academic worlds.”

Regimbald began his coaching career at Loyola College in 1967 as the skip of the junior varsity team. In 1968 he was the full-time assistant to head coach George Dixon and was responsible for recruiting and administration for the football team. It was this experience that launched him into his career outside of athletics.

In 1973 he was hired as a liaison officer to recruit students for Loyola College. He then became the Director of Liaison for Concordia University, a position he held for 20 years. In 1996 he was appointed to his current position as assistant registrar.

Regimbald was an assistant coach for five different head coaches: Dixon, Doug Daigneault, Skip Rochette, Pat Sheahan and current mentor Gerry McGrath. In 1996 he was awarded the Gino Fracas Trophy as the volunteer coach of the year in Canadian university football and in 2002 he was inducted into the Concordia University Sports Hall of Fame.

Regimbald knows a thing or two about football. Growing up in Lachine, he played for the Juvenile Lakers before spending four years with the N.D.G. Junior Maple Leafs in the late 1950s and early 60s. He made it to the professional ranks, playing for the Montreal Alouettes in 1964.

Regimbald’s expertise and contributions are credited with helping Concordia to its 1998 record-setting campaign. The Stingers finished in first place in the regular season, won the Dunsmore Cup as the Ontario-Quebec champions and went on to win the Atlantic Bowl, the university’s first ever victory in a bowl game. On the cold, blustery day, Coach Reg’s special teams won the game with two blocked punts, a fumble recovery for a touchdown and four field goals.

Proceeds from last weekend’s gala evening will go towards awards and bursaries for the football team.