Football Canada hires LaPolice, Lessard as national flag football head coaches

The Canadian Press

· Posted: May 08, 2025 3:53 PM EDT | Last Updated: 6 minutes ago

Paul LaPolice has a caller coaching gig.

The erstwhile CFL manager was named caput manager of the Canadian men's nationalist emblem shot squad Thursday. Football Canada besides announced the assignment of Rachel Lessard arsenic the caput manager of Canada's elder women's squad.

Flag shot volition marque its Olympic debut successful 2028 successful Los Angeles.

LaPolice has implicit 20 years of pro coaching experience, having served arsenic caput manager of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2010-12) and Ottawa Redblacks (2020-2022). He has astir precocious worked arsenic a shot expert with TSN.

LaPolice has besides worked arsenic an violative manager implicit his CFL tenure, which should payment him successful transitioning him to emblem football.

Canada volition statesman preparations for planetary qualification events and the '26 IFAF satellite emblem shot championship, which volition beryllium a cardinal lawsuit toward Olympic participation.

"I americium humbled to beryllium capable to correspond the shot assemblage of Canada arsenic good arsenic the state that I person called location for the past 25 years," said LaPolice.

Football Canada's last ID campy volition beryllium held successful Montreal May 23-24.

Lessard provides extended experience

Lessard brings implicit 29 years of acquisition arsenic a subordinate and manager to the nationalist women's program. She volition pb Canada into the '25 World Games successful Chengdu, China.

"Rachel has a heavy knowing of what it takes to execute astatine the highest level and however to beryllium a person successful that space," said Miyazaki. "She's a proven victor and we are definite that nether manager Lessard's guidance, our athletes volition beryllium well-positioned to execute their fullest imaginable connected the planetary stage."

Lessard has earned aggregate medals — nationally and internationally — arsenic a subordinate and coach, including golden astatine the '24 nationalist elder championships and '24 Tampa satellite championships. Most recently, she coached the University of Montreal to a 2nd Canadian collegiate emblem shot nationalist crown.

"This crippled has fixed maine everything," Lessard said. "I'm arrogant and humbled to person the privilege to pb these bonzer athletes.

"Eyes connected the podium. The travel starts now."

Football Canada's last nationalist ID campy volition beryllium held May 22-24 successful Montreal.