Doug Hargreaves has been one of the most recognizable and highly respected figures in Canadian University Football over the past 40 years. He started his University coaching career at RMC.  

He grew up in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario; attended Queen’s University in the ‘50s, as an Officer Cadet, in the University Reserve Training program (URTP) - a forerunner to Reserve Entry Training Program (RETP), which many of us are familiar with today.  Even though Doug was in the Reserve, unlike current day RETPs, his military occupation was pilot.  He earned his Wings in 1956 and completed a Short Term Commission with the RCAF.  Following his military tour, he returned to S.S.M. and taught high school and coached football and a number of other sports.  

A few years in the high school teaching environment was enough to convince this former pilot / aspiring football coach that he didn’t want to do the classroom gig his whole career. The RCAF was looking for trained pilots again!  When the opportunity was presented to “re-enlist”; fly and even coach football as part of his duties, he jumped at the idea. 

The perfect dream job. 

He spent a few years flying and ended up at RCAF Uplands. During this time he maintained his contacts with Major Danny McLeod the fireball RMC, Director of Athletics who at the time was leading arguably the best varsity sports program in Canada.  “The Major”, was on the lookout for a football coach for the varsity Redmen. The two had been in contact off & on for a couple of years.  Doug was still a pilot.  Not a problem.  It took a couple of years but he was able to “reclassify” his military occupation to Physical Education Recreation Officer (PERO).

Paperwork does have a way of getting mixed-up. His first posting message, only 24 hours following his reclassification to the new PERO Branch, was to Portage La Prairie as their new Base Recreation & Sports Officer.  Doug almost had a heart attack!   The RMC Commandant of the day was Air Commodore Len Birchall.  It took Danny McLeod about two minutes to contact him with the news of the paper work “screw-up”. Needless to say, with these two gentlemen involved, it was only a short time before the “Redmen” had their man.  

We have no record of who the person that was sent to RCAF Portage La Prairie to replace the football coach.     

In 1965, F/L Doug Hargreaves, now an ex-pilot with a passion for football joined the McLeod athletic department staff which included the likes of: F/L Hank Tatarchuk; CPO Reg Pitt; Sgt/Major Rick Bourgon; Sgts: Wally Travis; Jim Gebhardt; Art Vondette; Bob Murray; Bruce Porter (who left us far too soon); POs: Tom Walton and Max McClelland. Definitely an “A” team! 

For the first couple of years at the college, he handled the varsity football team and varsity athletic administrative duties.  A couple of years later, when the popular and respected basketball coach, Hank Tatarchuk was posted out, Doug took on the responsibility of coaching the basketball team too!  

 The 1960s was one of the most turbulent decades experienced world-wide. In particular, 1967 was big for Canadians. It was Centennial Year; RMC had opened 91 years before; Toronto Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup; the City of Montreal hosted a World Fair (Expo ’67); and the NHL expanded from 6 to 12 teams.  The three Canadian military arms, the RCAF, the RCN, and the Canadian Army, would be integrated into the Canadian Armed Forces by February 1968.  Air Commodore Len Birchall retired from the RCAF following the RMC graduation. 

What else?  

Doug Hargreaves, the football coach for the past two seasons would take on the added responsibility of coaching the RMC basketball team. And. 

A young six foot plus, III Year Cadet who just arrived from CMR with a passion for the game James Naismith invented in 1891 was eager to play at the OSLAA level. CMR had played exhibition games against the RMC "big" team, so he had some exposure to them under Hank Tatarchuk's coaching tenure.  He also arrived with impressive personal playing credentials – leading scorer in the Quebec JV league; team captain and had developed / honed his skills playing under 4033 Dr. Peter Aichinger (RMC ‘58) who was a part-time coach and full-time teaching professor at CMR.   

Thirty nine years later, 7855 Paul Hession (RMC ’69) recalls playing for Coach Hargreaves.  “Our first year, we were 3 - 10. Doug deserved enormous credit for us turning it around to 12 – 9 the following season. We wound up in the OSLAA conference final, which we eventually lost 71-44 against the Loyola Warriors (now Concordia Stingers) despite the fact that we had lost five senior players to graduation.”   

To put it into perspective just how good the 1968/69 Hargreaves coached Redmen were – Loyola went on to win the CIAU consolation championship final by defeating U of Alberta 76-66. The only RMC basketball team able to accomplish similar results was the Craig Norman coached 02 / 03 squad that lost 71–67 in an OUA quarter-final play-off game to Ottawa U.  Ottawa U did not advance to the national championship.  

The still fit looking former CMR/RMC basketball star added, “Doug was a strong disciplinarian who paid close attention to the technical details of the sport - focusing on footwork, responsibilities and positioning. His biggest coaching strengths were team defense and conditioning - which kept us in a lot of games against more talented athletes. When we lost, his dry sense of humour also helped us to get up for the next competition.” 

Paul also stated, “When I started to play for Doug, it was obvious that he had a very "professional" approach to his job and it was easy to "sign up" for his way of doing things.”  

“My job was continuous coaching from September to March, in addition to the administrative side. Fortunately, there was no overlap between the two seasons at that time. It was a busy period because “The Major” was helping to create the CIAU, and I was kept hustling,” recalled Coach Doug. 

Honest and straightforward, Hargreaves seldom pulled punches, imparting as much character as he did football / basketball lessons & skills to the cadets. Sometimes as stern as a drill sergeant, Doug also had a pleasant habit of putting aside the military-honed disciplined manner when necessary.

Jim Simpson arrived at RMC when Doug was starting his second year as football coach. “In our recruit year there were very strict team training rules that were very seriously taken by the players and coach.” explained Jim who went on to be a star Redmen quarterback and punter during his four years at RMC.  He described an incident on the field.  “One Monday afternoon practice, Doug called the team together to introduce the day's practice routine as he did every day we were on the field. This particular day he called forward two fourth year starters and challenged them as to whether or not they had broken training rules following Saturday's game. They confessed in front of the team and were dismissed from practice and the team immediately. This event crystallized in my mind how dedicated Doug was to his job and that his expectations were that if each of us was not in tune with this, we were not wanted on any team that he coached. As the years went by, Doug was forced to modify some of these strict rules as society pressures changed.  However, this single incident has remained in my mind since that day as an example of the sacrifice that is required to be an elite athlete.” 

Doug had a lot of assistance while at RMC and he never misses an opportunity to express gratitude to former Redmen 6552 John “Mugger” Macko, Brian Cass, Elliot Jacobsen, his own brother Ward, and 7296 Dave McCaw (RMC ’68)  –… “All five were key-members of the coaching staff at various times and contributed greatly to our success during those years…” acknowledged the former RCAF Pilot turned PERO. “Dr Al MacKenzie did a lot of coaching too my first couple of years, before his medical duties prevented him from having the time to spare for coaching duties.”  

Both the RMC basketball and football teams were competitive and represented the college with class and distinction during his tenure. More importantly, a “ton” of cadets from his teams went on to have outstanding careers both in the military and civilian life.  Many of them to this day are the biggest supporters of the college and the RMC Club of Canada.  A few have stayed in touch with their old coach. Most are just a pleasant memory. 

“I don’t remember all the guys who assisted us but the caring hands of Chuck Babcok and Dr. Al MacKenzie really stick out in my mind for the great help they both provided in the treatment of injuries and the like. Game after game, always going the extra mile for the benefit of the cadets on our teams,” added Doug as he was recalling those early RMC days. “I’ll never forget the effort and commitment we received from so many fine athletes and their determination to do well on the gridiron and the basketball court.  We won a number of games on grit alone.”   

During his RMC days as football coach, the Redmen usually played the best university teams in the country. Doug Smith recalls, “Coach Hargreaves, was never adverse to competition, as in my IV year, we played U of Calgary, U of Saskatchewan, and University of Windsor in a 10 day pre-season campaign.”  Smitty also didn’t hesitate to mention.  “We were two for three in those exhibitions.” 

He recalls many stories and events both as a player, as assistant and even more as a dear friend.  “Doug always had the greatest respect for the development of his young charges, and while he found some of the College policies a bit trying and counter-productive, he maintained posture as a firm promoter of RMC and the military throughout.  He was an exemplary role-model who's love for the game of football and insistence on fair play "by the rules" throughout provided character-building for all of his players.”  

All good things come to an end.  

In 1970 Flight Lieutenant “Coach” Hargreaves was posted to CFB Shearwater as Base PERO. By now the Danny McLeod era was coming to an end at RMC. Postings for members of the athletic department “in & out” of RMC were now being controlled more by Ottawa located Career Managers.  Some people, in the know, would point to this particular time period in the history of the college, as the start of the decline of the RMC sports program. Prior to this, McLeod, with input from staff members had a big say on who was posted to the RMC athletic department.  

The ever keen F/L Hargreaves, wife Norma and three daughters; Vicki, Gayle and Lynn moved to Halifax. He eased himself into the PERO position. To keep himself busy and to keep his fingers in the game he loved most, he took on a volunteer job as the assistant coach with the Dalhousie University football team.  He also picked-up the pace in pursuing a Masters program.   

Within a few months of arriving at CFB Shearwater, the keen F/L was promoted to Squadron Leader and transferred to Command Headquarters, Trenton, Ontario as Command PERO. Because of the potential complications associated with uprooting children three times in less then a year, Norma and the girls settled right back in Kingston instead of moving to Trenton. It turned out to be a very wise decision.

Doug made the one-hour Trenton / Kingston drive or so pretty well daily.  Of course, with football being available at Queen’s University, it didn’t take long for the legendary Frank Tindall, the gentleman who was his coach during his playing days at Queen’s from 1951 to ’55 to contact S/L Hargreaves with an offer to join his coaching staff as an assistant.  

Back to Halifax!  

In 1972, he was lured to Dalhousie University – this time as the Athletic Director and Head Football Coach.  

He quickly “retired” from the (now) Canadian Forces after 13 years of military service. His football club struggled through those Dalhousie years and Doug, being the competitive guy that he was, took it hard, as he felt responsible. However, during his four years at Dalhousie U, the enthusiastic Hargreaves engineered the rebuilding and strengthening of what had been an almost non-existent athletic program.  Win or lose on the football field, he was earning a well deserved reputation as both an athletic administrator and an outstanding football coach; he continued to work on his graduate degree and earned a Masters of Science in Physical Education during this time period.

The dream was about to get better! 

His old coach and mentor, Frank Tindall retired from Queen’s before the 1976 football season, Doug was offered the head coaching position and to teach in their School of Physical Education.

Doug, Norma, Vicki, Gayle & Lynn packed their suitcases one more time and headed back to Kingston. 

Success didn’t take long! In two years, his Queen’s Golden Gaels team won the Canadian College Bowl, defeating UBC 16 – 3 in a game played before 19,124 excited spectators at Varsity Stadium in Toronto. The Golden Gaels were the first undefeated team to achieve that goal.

RMC fingerprints were all over the success of this national winning Queen’s team.  8469 Jim Simpson (RMC ’70) helped coach the Gaels Quarterbacks for two years prior to 1978. 8074 Doug Smith (RMC ’69) was in charge of the Defensive Backs; and 8019 John Carlson RMC (’69) controlled the Linebackers. These three Ex Cadets while completing individual MBA’s and made significant contributions which Coach Hargreaves would mention (often over the years) …” they were important cogs in the coaching machine…” 

Outside Norma and the three girls, Doug Smith, probably knows and admires Coach H more then anybody else.  As mentioned earlier, Doug played for him at RMC from 1965-68. Smitty was the Redmen team captain and earned All-Conference Half Back honours in his IV year as a cadet.  

The former speedy RMC Half Back was also part of the Queen’s football staff from 1977 to ’81.  During that period the Gael's won four conference championships, three trips to the Atlantic Bowl and one to the Yates Cup. For the uninformed, all four Bowls were for the Eastern Canada Title; and, as mentioned, they won the National Collegiate Title with the ’78 impressive 11-0 season.   

Smitty went on to tell us, “The years at Queen's with Doug were a continuation of his high standards and principles, as well as his dry humour, all contributing greatly to the Gael's almost-dominance in that era.  Doug loved it, following-on in the footsteps of his former coach Frank Tindall.” 

Coach Hargreaves ended up the most successful football coach in Queen’s history.  During his 18-years at the helm of the Golden Gaels, Doug’s teams reached the playoffs for 16 consecutive seasons. He led Queen’s to nine conference titles and two national championships. By the time he retired in 1994, he had coached more university football games than anyone else in Canada: 233 - with 109 wins to his credit.

He capped it off, at the Sky Dome in front of 28, 645  fans in 1992, with that second National Championship, - which by now was called the Vanier Cup, Canada’s University Football Championship.  His Queen’s team shut out St. Mary’s 31 - 0, another first for the Vanier Cup.  

Over the years he earned many “Coach of the Year “ honours. Including three different times (’83, ’89 & 91) in the former Quebec / Ontario Intercollegiate League which Queen’s competed in for many years.  He also took the top coaching laurels in the OUAA on two different occasions 1977 & ‘79. 

Capturing individual trophies was never important to Doug, however, winning - The Frank Tindall Award, which is given annually to the top intercollegiate football coach in Canada in 1983 meant a little extra. He had a special reason to be proud it was after all named after his former coach from his playing days and later his mentor. He served on Frank Tindall’s staff, which made those daily-commuting trips between Trenton and Kingston back in 1971 extra special.  

In addition to winning a great deal of team and individual hardware over the years, Queen’s University honoured him in 1992 by naming an athletic award in his name - The Doug Hargreaves Trophy, awarded annually to the Most Outstanding Offensive Player. 

He continued to live his dream, all over the world. 

Doug Hargreaves did more for the game of football then play and coach for a particular school. He served on the CIAU Rules Committee for 10 years, and he was also a member of Football Canada Coaches’ Working Committee which created the Coaching Technical Certification program for Canada. He also was a pioneer in exporting the game to various parts of Europe (Switzerland and the Netherlands) teaching, coaching, and developing Canadian football.

To say he loved: talking, coaching, and promoting football would be an understatement!  

He is now a member of the Kingston District Sports Hall of Fame and since his retirement from football coaching, Doug and Norma spend their winters in Invermere BC, skiing at Panorama…”right now my body is going downhill faster than I can ski” says Doug with that ever present twinkle in his eyes. 

Doug had an advantage over most of his peers in the football coaching business in that Norma, (they just celebrated their 50th this past January) and their three daughters were always his biggest supporters.  John Macko remembers his IV year as a cadet, which coincided with the arrival of Coach Hargreaves at RMC. “His wife was just as much a fanatic as he was. In fact his three kids who were all girls were also his best supporters,” John recalls.  “Later when I was helping out as an RMC assistant coach it would not be unusual to see Mrs. H and all three girls tugging along after her in and around the practise field.”   

About 11 years ago, Doug Smith, organized a Dinner (roast) at RMC to honour his former coach and mentor.  Ex Cadets and former Queen’s players from all over the globe formed the majority of the large crowd in attendance. As one would imagine, the stories and laughs flowed for hours. 

Jim Simpson myth exposed!  

When it was noted that Jim Simpson, had won the League punting title, Coach Doug reminded everyone that those booming spirals off - of Jimmy's foot averaged out well, as the coach "only let him punt when we had the wind.”   

It brought back memories of when Doug was asked by a keen Whig Standard reporter, for the season’s forecast - Coach Hargreaves replied, we’re small, but we’re slow”.  And who could ever forget his dry humour, following some tough questions from the same scribe following three consecutive Redmen losses. Says Coach Hargreaves of his teams’ losses:  “Football is a game of mistakes, we just make more mistakes than our opponents.”  

Between high school teachings, Air Force pilot, coaching university football & basketball and helping to raise three daughters, Doug found time for outside endeavours. He has taught Adult Sailing around Kingston and is still heavily involved -   “building, flying, crashing and repairing radio controlled model airplanes. I received the “Crash of the Year “ trophy twice, and I’m having a ball,” smiled Doug while sharing a coffee / tea / & a few stories with old friends and colleagues Danny McLeod and Jim Gebhardt.  

Now 74, he looks back over these 40 years with some great memories; he had the opportunity to turn a 13-year military career into a full-time love affair with university football coaching. “I met a lot of fine people by the time that I retired from Queen’s in 1994. Never had a football player that I wouldn’t invite home in my entire career.”  

To think, his dream job started at RMC over 40 years ago.  

Continued good health and happiness to you and Norma in your retirement years, Coach.  

Doug Hargreaves may be reached at hargreav@post.queensu.ca