The Valley Huskers have found their next head coach.
The BC Football Conference team announced the hiring of Bob Reist Thursday night, bringing in a bench boss with a BCFC background and experience at the Canadian university level.
Reist played junior football for the Abbotsford Airforce and was a two-time all-star at defensive back. Reist was named the league’s outstanding DB in 2002 and was also selected as an All-Canadian.
Reist went on to four years with the University of Manitoba Bisons.
He was a team captain for three years, including Manitoba’s Vanier Cup winning squad in 2007. That season ended with Reist being named the Bisons’ Male Athlete of the Year.
He transitioned into coaching with two years at Vincent Massey High School in Brandon, MB.
Reist rejoined the Bisons as defensive backs coach from 2011-15, adding special teams/linebackers last season.
Since 2010 Reist has also been involved with ‘Recruit Ready,’ a Manitoba based training program that prepares high schoolers for junior and university football.
Reist takes over a Husker program that hasn’t won a game in more than two seasons. He is the team’s sixth head coach since the end of the 2009 season, following in the footsteps of Howie Zaron, Luke Acheson, Tyson St. James, Adam Smith and most recently Jason Quinter.
The Husker job posting indicated that Reist will be expected to retain several coaches from last year’s staff.
The Husker season typically kicks off in late July.
See valleyhuskers.org.