Ticats.ca
HAMILTON — The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are down a defensive coordinator, as the team announced Wednesday that Orlondo Steinauer has left to take a position with Fresno State.
Steinauer, a former CFL player of 13 seasons, spent four years as the Ticats’ defensive coordinator after joining Kent Austin’s staff in 2013. He will be Fresno State University’s defensive coordinator in 2017:
A message from Orlondo: pic.twitter.com/qgsTuEYsqe
— Hamilton Tiger-Cats (@Ticats) December 15, 2016
“I just wanted to take this time to say thank you to the whole Hamilton Tiger-Cats organization from the top down,” said Steinauer. “It’s been a tremendous ride.
“Without a great opportunity like this, I would definitely like to be back in the Black and Gold in a quest for a 2017 Grey Cup Championship. But even though I am leaving, I will be taking plenty of memories.”
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The Ticats, who have perennially boasted one of the CFL’s top defences under Steinauer, will make finding his replacement a top priority this off-season.
Steinauer, meanwhile, joins former BC Lions coach Jeff Tedford, who was hired as Fresno State’s head coach ahead of the 2017 season. The Fresno State Bulldogs finished their 2016 season 1-11, sixth in the Mountain West Conference of NCAA Division I FBS college football.
“Congrats to Coach Steinauer,” Ticats president Scott Mitchell tweeted Wednesday night. “Great coach and better man. Did an outstanding job for us. We will miss him but proud and happy for him.”
