VANCOUVER - Shawn Olson has come home. UBC’s 1997 Vanier Cup winning quarterback has been tapped to revamp a Thunderbirds football program that is a shadow of its former self.

Olson recognizes the immense task ahead of him, but he’s up for the challenge.

“The biggest way to repair this program is to have some success,” comments Olson. “That’s how we’re all judged. There’s a lot do be done, but most of the changes aren’t things I need to sit down and think about. I’m just going to be who I am and do things the way I think they should be done.”

As a player, Olson spent five seasons with the T-Birds before heading to Europe to play professionally. He speaks with composed enthusiasm about his approach to rebuilding UBC football.

“I expect hard work and I expect people to care,” says Olson. “Those are essential to success. I don’t expect the players to be perfect. I just expect that we work really, really hard, and that we love where we are and who we’re doing this with. If you do those things, I think the end result will take care of itself.”

But it’s more than just philosophy that is needed to produce a winning team. As offensive coordinator at Simon Fraser University for the past three seasons, Olson has become acquainted with the Thunderbirds. The nuts and bolts of what ails his new team were pretty clear before he got to UBC, and he has continued to pinpoint areas of weakness.

“Offensively we need some speed,” he says. “It’s tough to score if you can’t get long chunks in the Canadian game. We also need to improve our defensive line play. We have some good young players, but they need to take a step up.”

Beyond those specifics, Olson’s bigger task is changing the culture of football at UBC, something he describes as “a real issue.” He plans to spark his players by instilling “positive creative tension” within the team.

“Overall we need to create competition at every position,” he explains. “That’s something that was sorely lacking last year. You had your starters and your back-ups, and the situation didn’t allow for the people in the back-up position to push and take over if their play was good enough in practice. That’s something that will change."

“Just because you’re a starter in week one doesn’t mean you’re a starter in week eight,” he says. “That’s something you have to earn on a day-to-day basis. We’ll address that in practices by making sure that people are bringing their level up, but also by recruiting people who are talented and love to work hard. It’s that momentum from the back that spurs a team on to greatness."

That recruitment process this year will include not only first-year players for next season, but some players with CIS experience. There are a handful of players from SFU who are looking for new college homes in light of that school’s departure from the CIS.

Olson speaks firmly about the prospect of bringing in players who might be perceived as 'his guys'.

“There will be some guys that come over from SFU, but we’ll be selective,” he says. “And they know that they’ll have to work harder than the average guy to earn a position. I have a great affection for SFU, but this is a new situation, a new team. We have our own identity here.”

When Olson got to SFU as offensive coordinator, the Clan were 0-8, and “probably the worst college football team” he had ever seen in his life. The next year, they went to the Hardy Cup to compete for a conference title. SFU’s offense, Olson’s specific responsibility, improved every year he was at the school.

Despite his success, not everyone is a fan of Shawn Olson. He’s spent just three years in the CIS as a coach, and has no head coaching experience, which has made his hiring at UBC a controversial one.

Olson speaks with equanimity about his critics’ reservations.

“I would have reservations about me, too. What have I done?” he remarks. “I’ve got a lot of positive traits but I haven’t done it yet. Until you do it, there’s always going to be people who question if you’re able to. That’s the nature of the world."
 
“It’s funny, but I don’t have any problem with people having reservations about me,” he smiles. “My job is to prove people with reservations wrong.”

And it’s a big job, to be sure. The Thunderbirds are coming off one of their most disappointing seasons in recent years. But Olson is at his football home, and regardless of the scope of the undertaking or the vehemence of the naysayers, there’s nowhere he’d rather be.

“This really is my dream job,” he says. “I remember sitting over at the aquatic centre and thinking that one day I want to be in this position. What makes it different compared to if I got this job at any other university is that I truly, truly care about this place. I’ve seen where it was and where it can be. I don’t think there’s a better place to play college football and get your degree in Canada than UBC. I really believe that.”

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