For Immediate Release 

July 18, 2024

Rob Underhill Term Ended as Team Ontario HC

Football Ontario Thanks Rob Underhill for his Time Leading the U18 Program

Hamilton, Ontario – Football Ontario would like to thank Head Coach Rob Underhill for his hard work, care, and dedication as he led the U18 Male Tackle Program over the past three seasons. Coach Rob has now completed his three-year term as the program’s Head Coach. 

Coach Underhill has been a part of the Team Ontario Program for 25 years, first starting in 1999 and has been the longest serving member of the Team Ontario coaching staff. He has served in a variety of roles such as positional coach, defensive coordinator, special teams coordinator, and head coach.

Throughout his tenure he has been able to work cohesively with numerous staff members, coaches, and volunteers and successfully represented Football Ontario and the province of Ontario to the best of his ability.

Coach Underhill spearheaded the development and rebirth of the U18 Male Tackle Team Ontario Program after the pandemic and just recently led Team Ontario to their first Gold Medal in a decade at the 2024 Canada Cup.

“Rob has been an invaluable asset to the Team Ontario program and to the community at large. His dedication, passion, and unwavering commitment to the development of our athletes and the sport of football have left an indelible mark on our organization. His leadership has not only brought success on the field but has also fostered a sense of unity and growth within our program. We are deeply grateful for his contributions and the legacy he leaves behind.” says Football Ontario’s CEO, Aaron Geisler.

To go along with his success at the Canada Cup, he has also assisted with growing interest in High-Performance Programming in Ontario, each year of his tenure saw an increase of participants signing up for Male Tackle High-Performance Programming.

In 2022, Football Canada held their first Canada Cup post-pandemic and Coach Underhill and his staff led the team through a tumultuous period with cancelled camps, and lockdowns, to the Bronze Medal Game at the Canada Cup before falling to Quebec.

In 2023, Coach Underhill once again led the team to the Semi-Finals of the Canada Cup before losing a closely contested game to Team Saskatchewan, the Bronze Medal Game ended up being cancelled due to external circumstances and Team Ontario and Team Alberta shared Bronze.

In 2024, Coach Underhill and his team would again face off against both Team Saskatchewan and Team Quebec, coming out victorious over both in impressive fashion as Team Ontario claimed Gold at the Canada Cup.

The growth that both the Team Ontario Program has seen and the development of the many athletes that have worn the Ontario jersey is a testament to his hard-work.

Football Ontario believes that Coach Underhill has left the program in a better place than when he began as Head Coach and for that the organization is grateful. The organization looks to build off his success and maintain the standard of excellence he set throughout his tenure.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

www.footballontario.net
ABOUT FOOTBALL ONTARIO: Football Ontario is the sanctioned provincial governing body for football in Ontario, through its focus on transparency, growth, alignment and excellence, is engaged in providing football opportunities for all of Ontario. Football Ontario is driven by a commitment to deliver football programming, opportunities and resources for its members and the provincial football stakeholders. Please visit: footballontario.net