The York University Lions football program announced Tuesday its assistant coaches ahead of the 2023 season. There will be a total of eight assistants rounding out the coaching staff headed by new co-head coaches Nathaniel Griffith (also the Offensive Coordinator) and Brian Jones (also the Special Teams Coordinator and Receivers Coach).

Barry Kilmas returns for his 14th season as a member of the Lions coaching staff, having served in various coaching capacities on both sides of the ball since 2010. He will assume the role of Quality Control Coach to go along with his duties as an offensive assistant. 

Prior to joining the Lions, he was the receivers and place kickers coach at the High School of Montreal. As a player, he was a receiver and place kicker for the University of Manitoba and Champlain College. He won the Bol D'or in 1987 with Champlain and went to the Canada West final with the Bisons in 1991. 

Matt Deans enters his sixth season with the Lions' program in 2023, this year serving as the Run Game Coordinator and Running Backs Coach. During his time here, he has held a variety of roles with Lions football, including Recruiting Coordinator, Tight Ends coach, Receivers Coach and Offensive line Coach since coming on board in 2018. Deans has served as the head coach of the York Region Lions U18 team in the Ontario Summer Football League (OSFL), where he won a U18 AA Championship in 2019. He also won a silver medal as receivers coach of Team Ontario at the 2018 Football Canada Cup. Deans was a receiver at York from 2010-2014, and he graduated from Ohio University with a master's degree in Coaching Education in 2017.

Kenrick Ritchie is back with the Lions for his fourth season as Defensive Line Coach in this his second coaching stint with York's football program. He previously occupied the same role for York during the 2014 campaign. A former U SPORTS student-athlete himself, he played defensive tackle for the Bishop's Gaiters, earning a starting spot in his third season in 2010, and participated in the Canadian Football League (CFL)'s E-camp in 2012. Ritchie, who grew up in Toronto, has been involved with a number of different minor football programs throughout the GTA since his playing career ended.

Mack Chapman is back with the Lions for his third season on staff, and will serve as the Linebackers Coach in 2023. He first joined the Lions staff in 2021 following his playing career at York. He served as a defensive assistant that season before adding the role of Recruiting Coordinator to his portfolio in 2022, a position he will maintain this season. He has won two youth championships as a defensive coordinator, one with the U18 York Region Lions in 2019, and also with the bantam West Carleton Wolverines of the National Capital Amateur Football Association (NCAFA) in 2015. Chapman played for the Lions from 2013-14 and 2017-19 as a long snapper, linebacker and defensive lineman.

D.J. Sackey joins the Lions staff in 2023 as the Offensive Line Coach. Sackey attended school at the University of Toronto and played with the Varsity Blues for 4 years . From there was drafted in the second round of the 2016 CFL Draft, 13th overall, by the Toronto Argonauts. He played professionally for 4 years, and won a Grey cup alongside coach Jones in 2017 with the Argos. He was also a member of the Ottawa REDBLACKS and Edmonton Elks.

Daniel Bennett is another new addition to the Lions coaching staff for the upcoming season. He will serve as the Halfbacks and Assistant Wide Receivers Coach. He played four seasons with the Laurier Golden Hawks as a receiver and helped contribute to their 2016 Yates Cup Championship. Bennett is also a full-time Student Recruitment Officer in York University's Recruitment department.

Former Lions defensive back Talik Ehouman enters his rookie season on the Lions staff as the Defensive Back Coach. He played four seasons for the Lions from 2017-21, before having his final season interrupted by injury four games into the 2021 season. He amassed 83 total tackles over his time in red and white, while also racking up three interceptions, including one for a touchdown in 2018 against McMaster. Ehouman was named a U SPORTS academic all-Canadian twice, for the 2017-18 and 2019-20 academic years.

Nick Richards joins the Lions as the Football Expert and Mentor Coach. Richards has previous coaching experience as the Defensive Coordinator at Football North, a high school prep academy which plays American opponents and is based out of Clarkson Secondary School in Mississauga. He played two years in U SPORTS with the Acadia Axemen, and in the CFL from 1995-1998 with the Ottawa Rough Riders and B.C. Lions.

York open its season on home turf at York Lions Stadium against the defending Yates Cup champion Western Mustangs this Saturday, August 26 at 1:00 pm. Tickets can be found HERE.