Dominic Picard will achieve a career goal Friday night when he referees his first game on the college network.
After ten seasons in the CFL, the 2006 Winnipeg Blue Bombers 3rd-round pick began a coaching career when he retired in June 2016.
“I wanted to play as long as possible, but I always aspired to be a coach,” summarized the new offensive coordinator of the University of Sherbrooke’s Vert & Or. In the past I’ve had offers to coach the CFL, but I didn’t want to skip a step.
After his career, Picard returned to his roots at Blizzard du Séminaire Saint-François before making the leap to the varsity ranks with the Géants de Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu and the Élans de Garneau, where he held the position of head coach held two seasons.
“I wanted to learn how to train and I am grateful to the people who have accompanied me during these years,” he said. It was important to get there gradually. I’ve been preparing for this opportunity for a long time and the timing was right.”
Duel against his alma mater
Making his university debut as a coach, Picard will again meet Université Laval Rouge et Or, with whom he won the Vanier Cup in 2003 and 2004, and his former coaches Glen Constantin, Justin Éthier and Carl Brennan. Born in Sainte-Foy, Picard has always had a close connection to the organization.
“I was a cameraman at Rouge et Or in 1998 and I was there when we launched the mini Rouge et Or in 2002. It’s something special to play against the Rouge et Or in my first game. It’s a good team, it’s well organized and I have a lot of respect for Glen, Justin, Carl and Marc [Fortier].”
Used to playing football in four tries as a coach, will Picard go through a period of adjustment? “I trained with the Quebec team this summer and during the preseason game against Bishop’s in three-try football. I played ten seasons in the CFL and prepared a lot for this moment. It will be my 30th fall in football.
Will Picard, a former offensive lineman, turn more to ground attack compared to his predecessor Justin Chapdelaine? “I’m not going to talk about game patterns and it’s up to people to judge if there are tactical changes.” The team culture will not change.
Constantin is not surprised that Picard is on the sidelines as coach. “Dominic is a student of the game who has turned into a very good coach. He works very hard. He is a go-getter who has made a name for himself and aspires to climb the corporate ladder. He has the knowledge to work in the CFL.”
Picard makes no secret that his goal is to one day be a pro, but he’s in no hurry. “Football has always been a passion and education has become a passion. I’m happy at Sherbrooke and the stability is interesting. I’m not closing the door to the CFL, but I don’t have a deadline.