The 17th coach in the program’s storied history, Shawn Olson enters his fifth season at the helm of the UBC Thunderbirds.
The 'Birds made great strides in 2013, finishing 4-4 and losing to the Canada West Champions and Vanier Cup finalists from Calgary in the opening round of the Canada West Playoffs 42-28. Olson helped to produce four CIS All-Canadians last year (Donovan Dale, Jas Dhillon, Alec Pennell, and Quinn van Gylswyk), the Canada West oustanding lineman of the year (Dale), and the third leading rusher in the country (Brandon Deschamps).
2012 was a disappointing campaign for the Thunderbirds in which the team was riddled with injuries. UBC finished 2-6 on the year and out of the playoffs.
In 2011, Olson was named the Canada West Coach of the Year after leading his team to the Hardy Cup final, the team’s first appearance in the game since 1999. Officially, the team went 0-8 in the regular season due to the use of an ineligible player. The team won six of those eight games before going 1-1 in the playoffs.
Olson’s first year at UBC in 2010, the Thunderbirds finished with a record of 2-6. He picked up his first career coaching victory at UBC in week two, as his Thunderbirds defeated then no. 2 Saskatchewan 31-12 on the road in Saskatoon.
Olson, a three-time Canada West All-Star, spent five seasons under centre for the Thunderbirds (1996-2000), quarterbacking UBC to a Vanier Cup victory over Ottawa in 1997. During his career at the Point Grey campus, UBC had a record of 30-17-1 and made four Hardy Cup appearances. Olson finished his university career with 9,953 yards passing (second all-time in UBC history), 1,276 yards rushing and 65 total touchdowns (55 passing and 10 rushing) to rank among the school’s most prolific offensive players of all-time.
After graduating from UBC with a double major in History and English, Olson spent one season on the coaching staff at the University of Calgary before moving on to star in the AFL (Europe) with the Chrysler/Dodge Vienna Vikings.
A player-coach from 2002-2005, Olson led the Vikings to Austrian Bowls in 2002, 2003, and 2005 as well as three straight Euro Bowls from 2003-05. A team MVP and captain during his tenure, Olson was named the Vikings offensive coordinator and QB coach in 2005.
During his two seasons as a full-time coach with the Vikings, Olson helped lead the Austrian team to a pair of Euro Bowls (2006, 2007) and two AFL Division I titles (2006 and 2007).
The Surrey, BC native returned to the Lower Mainland in 2007, where he spent three seasons as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the SFU Clan. During his time with SFU he helped turn that program from a winless team in 2007 to a Hardy Cup finalist in 2008.
Olson lives in South Surrey with his wife Julie and two children, Tristan and Eve.
