The Saint Mary's Huskies football team represents Saint Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia in the sport of Canadian football in U Sports. The Huskies have been the most successful in the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) conference of U Sports football, reaching the Vanier Cup championship game nine times and winning three times (1973, 2001, 2002), both marks being the highest in the AUS. The program also has the most Jewett Trophy conference championships, winning 25 times in 34 appearances.

The Huskies became the third university to win back-to-back championships (2001 & 2002) and the first of three universities to appear in at least three consecutive championship tournaments (2001–2003). The second being the Saskatchewan Huskies (2004–2006) and the third being the Laval Rouge et Or (2010–2013). As of 2024, the Huskies are the last AUS team to have both appeared in a Vanier Cup (2007) and to have won a Vanier Cup (2002).

The Hec Crighton Trophy was awarded four times to Saint Mary's Huskies players; three times to Chris Flynn (1988, 1989, 1990) and once to Erik Glavic in 2007. Flynn is the only player to have won the league MVP award three times and in 2011, he became the first player inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame based solely on a university career.

Recent coaching history Steve Sumarah was the head coach of the Huskies for six seasons from 2006 to 2011 and had his teams achieve four first-place finishes, along with one Vanier Cup appearance in 2007. He was fired on Dec. 5, 2011. Perry Marchese was hired as his replacement on February 17, 2012. Marchese had a record of 8-24 over four seasons and was replaced with James Colzie III in 2016. Colzie led the Huskies to an 17-20 record over five seasons and resigned from the Huskies in April 2022. Sumarah returned as head coach on June 8, 2022.

Season results since 1998 Season Games Won Lost Standing Playoffs19988 440 0.500 153 1613rd in AUAA Out of playoffs19998 710 0.875 276 1311st in AUS Defeated Acadia Axemen in Loney Bowl 25-24Defeated Waterloo Warriors in Atlantic Bowl 21-14Lost to Laval Rouge et Or in 35th Vanier Cup 14-1020008 800 1.000 324 661st in AUS Defeated Acadia Axemen in Loney Bowl 38-18Lost to Regina Rams in Atlantic Bowl 40-3620018 800 1.000 480 351st in AUS Defeated Acadia Axemen in Loney Bowl 38-7Defeated Laval Rouge et Or in Atlantic Bowl 48-8Defeated Manitoba Bisons in 37th Vanier Cup 42-1620028 620 0.750 313 1101st in AUS Defeated St. Francis Xavier X-Men in Loney Bowl 63-14Defeated McMaster Marauders in Churchill Bowl 36-25Defeated Saskatchewan Huskies in 38th Vanier Cup 33-2120038 710 0.875 338 1281st in AUS Defeated St. Francis Xavier X-Men in Loney Bowl 36-12Defeated Simon Fraser Clan in Uteck Bowl 60-9Lost to Laval Rouge et Or in 39th Vanier Cup 14-720048 530 0.625 215 1311st in AUS Defeated Acadia Axemen in Loney Bowl 24-7Lost to Saskatchewan Huskies in Mitchell Bowl 31-1620058 440 0.500 225 1753rd in AUS Lost to St. Francis Xavier X-Men in semi-final 47-2920068 44– 0.500 189 1302nd in AUS Defeated St. Francis Xavier X-Men in semi-final 24-6Lost to Acadia Axemen in Loney Bowl 32-2420078 71– 0.875 352 1711st in AUS Defeated St. Francis Xavier X-Men in Loney Bowl 25-24Defeated Laval Rouge et Or in Uteck Bowl 24-2Lost to Manitoba Bisons in 43rd Vanier Cup20088 71– 0.875 259 1681st in AUS Defeated St. Francis Xavier X-Men in Loney Bowl 29-27Lost to Western Ontario Mustangs in Mitchell Bowl 28-1220098 71– 0.875 266 1191st in AUS Defeated St. Francis Xavier X-Men in Loney Bowl 31-22Lost to Calgary Dinos in Uteck Bowl 38-1420108 53– 0.625 228 1241st in AUS Defeated Acadia Axemen in Loney Bowl 37-8Lost to Calgary Dinos in Mitchell Bowl 35-820118 62– 0.750 296 1302nd in AUS Defeated St. Francis Xavier X-Men in semi-final 25-2Lost to Acadia Axemen in Loney Bowl 39-2020128 35– 0.375 189 1262nd in AUS Defeated Mount Allison Mounties in semi-final 49-11Lost to Acadia Axemen in Loney Bowl 17-920138 53– 0.625 128 1342nd in AUS Lost to Mount Allison Mounties in Loney Bowl 20-1720148 08– 0.000 59 2824th in AUS Out of playoffs20158 08– 0.000 72 2814th in AUS Out of playoffs20168 26– 0.250 126 2394th in AUS Out of playoffs20178 53– 0.625 209 1492nd in AUS Defeated St. Francis Xavier X-Men in semi-final 16-15Lost to Acadia Axemen in Loney Bowl 45-3820188 71– 0.875 188 1411st in AUS Lost to St. Francis Xavier X-Men in Loney Bowl 33-920198 35– 0.375 159 1904th in AUS Out of playoffs2020Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic20216 15– 0.167 58 1315th in AUS Out of playoffs20227 34– 0.429 116 1594th in AUS Out of playoffs20238 26– 0.250 115 2524th in AUS Lost to St. Francis Xavier X-Men in semi-final 36-2020248 44– 0.500 177 1503rd in AUS Defeated St. Francis Xavier X-Men in semi-final 21-17Lost to Bishop's Gaiters in Loney Bowl 25-22 (3OT)20258 71– 0.875 278 691st in AUS Defeated Acadia Axemen in semi-final 37-0Defeated St. Francis Xavier X-Men in Loney Bowl 46-11Lost to Montreal Carabins in Uteck Bowl 49-19

A. The September 24, 2022 Bishop's at Saint Mary's game was cancelled due to weather and the October 29, 2022 Saint Mary's at Bishop's game was worth four points with both teams playing seven games in 2022.

Head coaches Name Years Notes Elmer MacGillivray 1956 No team 1957 Bob Hayes 1958–1969 Al Keith 1970–1975 Jim Clark 1976–1978 Al Keith 1979–1982 Larry Uteck 1983–1997 Blake Nill 1998–2005 Steve Sumarah 2006–2011 Perry Marchese 2012–2015 James Colzie III 2016–2021 Steve Sumarah 2022–present

Championships

National Championships

Vanier Cup Champions: 1973, 2001, 2002 Runner-up: 1988, 1990, 1992, 1999, 2003, 2007

Semi-final championships

Uteck Bowl Champions: 2003, 2007 Runner-up: 2009, 2025

Mitchell Bowl Runner-up: 2004, 2008, 2010

Churchill Bowl Champions: 2002

Atlantic Bowl Champions: 1964, 1973, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1999, 2001 Runner-up: 1968, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1987, 1989, 1993, 1994, 2000

Conference Championships

Loney Bowl The Huskies have also been victorious in the Loney Bowl Conference Championship a record 25 times with their last coming in the 2025 season.

National award winners Hec Crighton Trophy: Chris Flynn (1988, 1989, 1990), Erik Glavic (2007) J. P. Metras Trophy: Mark Pothier (1975) Presidents' Trophy: Alex Eliopoulos (1992), Jonathan Langa (2014) Russ Jackson Award: David Sykes (1992, 1993), Ted MacLean (1995), Duncan Patterson (2022) Frank Tindall Trophy: Larry Uteck (1988, 1993), Blake Nill (1999), Steve Sumarah (2009)

Huskies in the CFL As of the start of the 2026 CFL season, four former Huskies players are on CFL teams' rosters: Aaron Crawford, Saskatchewan Roughriders Adrian Greene, Calgary Stampeders Aidan John, Ottawa Redblacks Brett Lauther, Ottawa Redblacks

References

External links