Ravens hire Sumarah as football coach

Posted Jan 26, 2012 By Eddie Rwema

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Steve Sumarah was named the 13th head coach of the Carleton University Ravens varsity football program.

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Steve Sumarah was named the 13th head coach of the Carleton University Ravens varsity football program.

EMC sports - The long anticipated revival of football at Carleton University now looks imminent.

Last week, the university named Steve Sumarah the 13th head coach of the history of the Ravens varsity football program.

Sumarah has been coaching in the Atlantic University Sport conference for the past 17 years and comes to Carleton after spending the last six seasons as head coach of the saint Mary's University Huskies.

The newly hired coach began his work on Jan. 23 and said he's got a ton of work to do to build a team that will hit the field in 2013 after a 14-year absence.

"There are very few opportunities in life to be able to start something from the beginning," said Sumarah.

The Carleton Ravens football team was cut in 1999 after the restructuring of the department of recreation and athletics and the university administration. Since then, the Old Crow Society, Carleton's football alumni chapter, have been working to revive the program.

Sumarah said he is happy and proud to lead the Ravens football program into its new era.

"To be honest, it is a fantastic opportunity and exciting," he said. "I think this is a phenomenal opportunity."

As head coach of St. Mary's University Huskies, he led the team to four consecutive AUS titles, a Uteck Bowl championship and a trip to the Vanier Cup in 2007, and was named the AUS coach of the year three times.

Eddie.rwema@metroland.com