Men's Football | 6/5/2018 11:59:00 PM

MONTREAL -- Bruce Coulter, a legendary university football coach at both McGill and Bishop's, who won the 1949 Grey Cup as a player with the Montreal Alouettes and was inducted to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1997, passed away on Tuesday (June 5). He was 90.

His death was first reported on Tuesday evening in a Facebook blog by Serge Vleminckx, a former longtime Journal de Montréal reporter, who described the gentlemanly mentor as "the Jean Béliveau of university football".

SEE VIDEO OF BRUCE COULTER'S CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Coulter won the Frank Tindall Trophy in 1986 as football coach of the year in the Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union, a national governing body now known as U SPORTS. He began his coaching career at McGill in 1958 and just two years later, led the Redmen to the Yates Cup league title and Churchill Bowl national championship. He also was a salesman of automotive supplies with John Millen & Son, Ltd.

After four seasons patrolling the sidelines at McGill, Coulter was appointed head coach and director of athletics at Bishop's in 1962 and went on to serve 29 seasons before stepping down from his coaching duties after the 1987 season as the then all-time winningest CIAU football coach with a 137-80-2 record. He remained as leader of the athletics department until his retirement in 1990. Coulter received an honourary doctorate of laws from Bishop's in 1988, was inducted to the Bishop's RBC Wall of Distinction in 1992 and also to the Sherbrooke Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.

Born in Toronto on Nov. 19, 1927, he starred on the gridiron for Runnymede Collegiate Institute, followed by a stint of senior ball with the Toronto Balmy Beaches. A graduate from the University of Toronto, he joined the CFL in 1948 and played 10 seasons as a defensive back and backup quarterback with the Alouettes, never missing a game. He played in four Grey Cup contests, winning the Alouettes inaugural Cup in 1949, his first appearance, followed by consecutive Cup losses to Edmonton in 1954, 1955 and 1956.

Coulter also served a number of volunteer positions, including president of the Quebec University Athletics Association, director of the CIAU and president of the Canadian Association of University Athletic Directors.

The Bishop's football stadium was renamed Coulter Field in 1991. Four years later, a CIAU award was established in his name to be presented to one of the most outstanding players in the Vanier Cup game. In 2016, he and his wife Joyce were honoured with the launch of the Coulter Family Fund to provide funding to athletics at Bishop's. 

He is a survived by his wife and four children Susan (Bob), Butch (Vessela), Doug (Charlotte), and John (Natalie).  In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be given to the Coulter Fund (in support of Bishop's Gaiters athletics) – Bishop's University, 2600 College St., Sherbrooke, QC, Canada, J1M 1Z7 or the MAB-Mackay Rehabilitation Centre (www.mabmackay.ca) would be appreciated. 

A celebration of his life will be held at Bishop's on Friday, August 24.