Waterloo football coach wins OUA award after decades of helping local athletes

Rob McMurren from the University of Waterloo has been named the OUA’s assistant football coach of the year. CTV’s Colton Wiens has more on the recognition.

University of Waterloo Assistant football coach Rob McMurren was named the 2025 Ontario University Athletics Assistant Coach of the Year, a recognition for his decades of commitment to improving local athletes.

“It was a pretty big honour. I really, really appreciate it. You know, I’ve been at this a long time. I’m not looking for accolades, but it’s nice to be noticed for your work,” McMurren said.

McMurren has been a volunteer football coach for about 28 years, mostly with the Waterloo Warriors along with local high school teams. He works in shipping and receiving at the university but volunteers his time with the school’s defensive linemen and focuses on helping the athletes get stronger.

“We got to get bigger and stronger. That’s why the guys are out here lifting right now,” McMurren said during a lifting session on his snow-covered driveway with the Warriors defensive linemen on Friday.

“We’re with guys that we love. We love lifting weights. Our coach loves it, too. We’re building a better bond. Better relationship. Yeah. We love it here,” Sam Skrlac, a defensive lineman with the Warriors said.

It’s a common occurrence for the team to gather at McMurren’s house in Waterloo to lift weights outside on his driveway, and in his basement gym.

But McMurren isn’t just some guy in Canadian football. He spent five years as a nose tackle with the Warriors, winning a Yates Cup in 1997. He was also named an all-Canadian nose tackle that year. He was also inducted into the University’s Ring of Honour this year.

McMurren attended Hamilton Tiger-Cats training camp in 1999 and played pro football in France. The same year, he started coaching with the Warriors.

“The kids are all great, so I just keep coming back because it’s fun. It’s a lot of fun for me. The way to keep competing without actually getting beat up on Saturdays,” McMurren said.

“I honestly, I wouldn’t ask for a better coach. One of the reasons why we came to Waterloo,” Skrlac said.

The 52-year-old, was also an avid rugby player growing up and played lacrosse as a teenager. Plagued with concussions from rugby, he decided to return to playing lacrosse when he was 30, joining the Senior “B” Kitchener Kodiaks in 2003.

“I stopped playing rugby because I had too many concussions, so I decided being a lacrosse fighter might be a good idea. So, I played one year with the lacrosse team. I had to stop playing because too many concussions. Really,” McMurren said.

Despite playing just one season with the Kodiaks, he helped the team win a national championship.

“When the Kodiaks came back in 2003, I tried out my boss was one of the coaches I tried out, and I made the team and, you know, won a Canadian championship. So,” McMurren said.

With concussions following him, McMurren still wanted to better his body and compete in something.

“I started lifting again after I finished playing lacrosse, and I wanted to get into something to compete with. So, I was looking at Highland Games or powerlifting, every time I got weights that I thought was good, I’d get hurt. So then I found, actually I started out bending steel and that was where I found the grip world. From there and I started competing with grip,” McMurren said.

Equipped with some massive hands, McMurren soon realized his skill at grip strength and bending steel.

“I was getting into kettlebell stuff, and I saw a video on YouTube of a guy bending a nail, and I just tried it, and I started just bending steel. And there’s a whole world of steel benders out there. It’s crazy.” McMurren said. “I was 105 (Ibs.) champion for the Canadian Nationals last year. First time I beat Eric (Roussin), who’s the, he’s been the champ for like 15 years in a row. I beat him for the first time. But in the North America, I was seventh two years ago in North America.”

Mcmurren’s wife and two daughters are also into the heavy lifting in the basement. His commitment to strength is something everyone who knows him looks up to.

“Strength wise, I think also, maturity wise, he’s a great coach, great person to model after,” Skrlac said.