MONTREAL – Vincent Gagné, a member of McGill University's 1987 national championship team and a co-captain in 1988, has been appointed chair of the Friends of McGill Football (FOMF), an alumni support group.
 
A 58-year-old native of Charlemagne, Que., Gagné holds a bachelor's degree in political science from McGill and an MBA from HEC Montréal. A long-time employee with TELUS, he is responsible for directing and managing relations between TELUS and Quebec's elected officials at various levels. He leads efforts in support of rural connectivity issues and deployments, large public sales initiatives, and health technology-related projects. 
 
During his playing days, Gagné patrolled the McGill football secondary as a rugged 5-foot-11, 185-pound defensive back from 1984 to 1988. Recruited from Collège Marie-Victorin, he received the team's Vic Obeck Trophy in 1984 as most improved player and was the inaugural recipient of the Charlie Baillie Trophy in 1988 as most outstanding team player. He merited all-conference honours and All-Canadian first-team status in 1988.
 
As head of the alumni group, Gagné replaces former teammate Wayne McRae, who has served 24 years in that capacity under four coaching regimes, since Chuck McMann took over the coaching reins from Charlie Baillie in 2001. McRae also served under Sonny Wolfe (2007-2011), Clint Uttley (2012-2014) and Ronald Hilaire (2014-2023). A recipient of the Friends of McGill Football Trophy as most outstanding defensive player in 1987, McRae was also a two-time recipient of the team's Fred Wigle Trophy as most sportsmanlike player (1986 & 1987). He served as co-captain in 1986 and was a league all-star in 1987.
 
"When Wayne decided to pass the torch on to me, my primary request was for both of us to continue working together, as we started back in 1984, for the benefit of the McGill football program," said Gagné. "I want to sincerely thank Wayne for what he has done for the program in the past and will continue to do in the future. We need to rally the alumni with various projects to put some wind into the sails of our team."
 
During his 24 years overseeing the alumni group, McRae was instrumental in running the FOMF golf tournament for 10 years. He was a key organizer for the annual awards banquet that honoured the team, introduced the top recruits in the country and celebrated the anniversary of past championship teams. He was a key figure in organizing the Michael Soles Endowment Fund which helps cover tuition costs for three student-athletes every year in perpetuity.
 
A senior portfolio manager and wealth advisor at RBC Dominion Securities, McRae signed a five-year varsity excellence partnership agreement in 2022, with McGill Athletics and Recreation to support the Redbirds football program. As part of the deal, the McRae Wealth Management Group of RBC Dominion Securities became the first sponsorship patch on a McGill team jersey.
 
"I will always be proud and humbled to be a part of such a great organization that I trust will have as great an impact on these players as it had on me," said McRae.
 
The Friends of McGill Football began as an informal group in 1970 during a funding crisis at the University, when a number of alumni rallied to save the program and stepped in as volunteer coaches. Composed primarily of former team players, this special interest group was more formally organized in 1984 under the stewardship of Vaughan McVey, who served 14 years as chair. The group assists the football program in areas of funding, sponsorship, recruiting, off-the-field team functions, alumni relations, attendance at games, reunions and celebrating the team's history, which dates all the way back to 1872.
 
The 2024 fall schedule begins with McGill's home opener versus the Montreal Carabins on Aug. 30. This season, the Redbirds will also be wearing a new-look uniform to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the historic 1874 McGill-Harvard meeting, a three-game series that began on May 14 and May 15 in Cambridge, Mass., concluding with a rematch in Montreal on Oct. 23, 1874. That series marked the first time an intercollegiate rugby-styled football game – featuring an oval ball and the ability to pick it up and run – was played in North America.

SOURCE
Earl Zukerman
Sports Information Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
514-983-7012 (Tel.)
www.mcgillathletics.ca
earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca