Meet Our Leader: Coach Samuel Thomassin

Samuel Thomassin is a Quebec-born Canadian former professional athlete, coach and entrepreneur, recognized for his achievements in professional football and his commitment to mentoring young athletes.

University career

At Université Laval, Thomassin quickly found his place on a very talented team. He was dressed from Game 3 in his first year (2015) and saw action in a few games, before establishing himself as a starter in his 2nd season with the Rouge et Or and remaining so his entire career without missing a game for the rest of his university career. A 2-time Vanier Cup champion (2016 and 2018) and 3 consecutive appearances in the university grand final (2016-2018), Thomassin was a team captain throughout his university career. He was also a member of the RSEQ All-Star team from 2016 to 2019, selected to the 2nd Canadian All-Star team in 2017 and to the first team in 2018 and 2019. His university career has been distinguished by consistent performance and leadership on and off the field.

Professional football career

Thomassin was selected 19th overall in the second round of the 2019 CFL draft by the Montreal Alouettes. Thomassin also received an invitation to the New York Giants’ 2019 NFL minicamp. The pandemic delayed Thomassin’s entry at the professional level, but he spent 2.5 years with the Alouettes, the Quebecer’s childhood team. In 2022, Thomassin is released mid-season by the Alouettes and signs a season-ending contract with the Edmonton Elks. Thomassin returned to the Elks in 2023, but an injury during training camp ended his season. Thomassin’s professional career has been marked by resilience and perseverance through injury. It has enabled him to grow as an athlete, as a future coach, but above all as a human being.

Football coaching career

Coaching football has always been part of Thomassin’s playing career. As early as college, he was involved in the LFMO league in the Outaouais region with 9-12 year-olds. Then, during his university career, he was involved in coaching the Rouge et Or mini league for 8-12 year-olds. He also coached the Rouge et Or’s Quebec City region juvenile all-star game in 2017 and 2018. Thomassin was also involved in coaching women’s football in 2021 and 2022 in the Outaouais region. Finally, following the end of his contract with the Alouettes, Concordia University approached him to join their coaching staff as assistant offensive line coach in 2022-2023. He stayed with Concordia during its off-season, and following the announcement of his retirement in December 2023, he was offered the position of full-time offensive line coach with Concordia (a position he still holds today). Coaching youth was always something that wasn’t far away during his playing career, and Thomassin has always been involved in giving back to his community with young people as well as helping to grow youth football.