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Laurier Golden Hawks.1961-2000
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The Laurier Golden Hawks started playing collegiate football in the 1961 season (from 1961-1973, Laurier University was known as Waterloo Lutheran University). Before they were known as the Golden Hawks, their were known as the Laurier Mules, because they were part of Western at the time in which they were the little cousins. No one at Laurier even liked the name mules, because other schools used to call them jackasses. The names that the students came up with are Mongooses, Astronauts, and the Nomads, but finally came up with the Hawks. The golden part of their name came from the colours from their uniform, and thus the name the Golden Hawks was established.3
Laurier's first collegiate football season was during the 1961 season in which Laurier's first head coach Bob Celeri. During their first season, Laurier compiled a 5-0-1 record. In fact Laurier's first lost in school history was in 1963 in which they were officially became a member of the Ontario Intercollegiate Football Conference (OIFC). The universities that were part of the OIFC was the University of Carleton, Laurentian University, Loyola College, McMaster, Montreal University, Ontario Agricultural College (which today we know them as Guelph University), University of Ottawa, Royal Military College, and the University of Waterloo. In the 1963 season, Laurier finished that season with a 4-2 record.The first season in which the Golden Hawks made the playoffs was during the 1966 season in which future hall of famer Dave' Tuffy' Knight was their head coach. In that season, Laurier finished with a 7-1 record and was invited to participate in the Canadian College Bowl (now it is called the Vanier Cup) against the St. Francis Xavier X-Men. In the Canadian College Bowl game that was played in Toronto, St. Francis Xavier defeated Laurier by the score of 40-14.
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Roster for the 1966 Canadian College Bowl.19 November 1966
Varsity Stadium, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Team photo of Laurier from 1966.Circa 1966
Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
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At the end of this season, Laurier decided to participate in the Central Canada Intercollegiate Football Conference (CCIFC) until the end of the 1971 season. During their time in the CCIFC, the combined record for the Golden Hawks was 21-7-2 and their best season was during the 1968 season in which the Golden Hawks once again made the playoffs by finishing the season with a 6-1 record in the CCIFC. With that record and winning the semi-final game against Loyola, Laurier went to their first Atlantic Bowl, in which the played the Saint Mary's Huskies. In the Atlantic Bowl, Laurier went on to win that game 37-7 and captured their first championship in school history.Also with that victory, Laurier went back to their second Canadian College Bowl in which Laurier went on to face the Queen's Golden Gaels. In the Canadian College Bowl, Queen's University was too much for Laurier as they lost 42-14.
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Laurier's next association that they were part of was the Ontario University Athletic Association (OUAA). This association was spilt in four divisions consisted of three teams in each conference. In the Central division Laurier was joined by McMaster University and the University of Guelph. During Laurier's time within the division (1971-1973), they made the playoffs two times. The first time was in 1972 when Laurier finished with a 4-2 record within the OUAA, and went on to defeat Ottawa 23-10 in the OUAA semi-final and 38-27 over Western University to win their first Yates Cup in school history.With that win in the Yates Cup, Laurier went to their second Atlantic Bowl in which they played the Saint Mary's Huskies. In this semi-final game, Laurier once again beat the Huskies 50-17 and returned to the Canadian College Bowl.
Laurier's third appearance in the national championship turned out like the previous two times before. This time they were defeated by the Alberta Golden Bears by the score of 20-7. Even with the defeat in the Canadian College Bowl, coach Knight earned Coach of the year honours which was his first of two with the Golden Hawks.
The following season in 1973, Laurier once again finished the OUAA season with a 7-1 record in which they won their second straight Yates Cup by once again defeating the Ottawa Gee Gee's 48-7 and once again competed for the Atlantic Bowl against Saint Mary's, unfortunately Saint Mary's finally defeated Laurier 19-17. During their time within the OUAA, Laurier had a 14-8 regular season record.
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The next conference that Laurier was a part of was the Ontario-Quebec Intercollegiate Football Conference (OQIFC) in which they were part of until the end of the 1979 season. This conference consisted of east and west divisions, in which Laurier was part of the West division. The universities that were part of the West division were Guelph, McMaster, Toronto, and Waterloo just to name a few.During Laurier's time within the OQIFC, they went to the playoffs every single season, but their most successful season was during the 1978 season, in which Laurier went to their first Churchill Bowl after winning their third Yates Cup in school history. In this national semi-final, Laurier went on to play UBC Thunderbirds in which they lost 22-16.
All the other times in which Laurier made the playoffs, the farthest that Laurier went was to Yates Cup final in which they lost four times. Their regular season record during that time was 31-9-2.
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Laurier's next conference that they decided to play in was the Ontario University Association (OUA) in which they are still a part of today. Laurier started to play in this association in 1980. During the time in the OUA, Laurier had a couple of coaching changes. The first coaching change happened before the 1984 season, when coach Knight was replaced by new head coach Rich Newbrough. During Rich Newbrough time as head coach, Laurier had their best season pre-2000.This season was in 1991 when Laurier finished the season with a 5-2 record and won their fifth Yates Cup (the other Yates Cup victory was in 1987 in which Laurier defeated the Guelph Gryphons 28-15) when Laurier defeated the Western Mustangs in a close game by the score of 13-12.
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Laurier celebrating with the Yates Cup.9 November 1991
London, Ontario, Canada
Credits:Steven Leung
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With that Yates Cup victory, Laurier and Queen's University went on to play in the Churchill Bowl in which Laurier won 42-22 and won their only Churchill Bowl championship in school history.12
Laurier celebrating with the Churchill Bowl.17 November 1991
Skydome, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Credits:The Toronto Star
Ken Faught
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With that win, Laurier returned to the national championship (now called the Vanier Cup) for the first time since 1972. In this year's Vanier Cup, Laurier played the Mount Allison Mounties in which Laurier went on to win their first Vanier Cup in school history 25-18.14
The band playing at halftime.30 November 1991
Skydome, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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