University sport legend Fracas enters Hall of Fame
Former Edmonton Eskimo started his coaching career at Alberta in 1960
EDMONTON – A giant in Canadian university sport, Gino Fracas is the latest Canada West Hall of Fame inductee.
Fracas enters the conference HOF thanks to his work at the University of Alberta, where he was active between 1960 and 1968. The former Edmonton Eskimo left his mark on the university's wrestling and football programs, following his CFL career.
A native of Windsor, Ont., Fracas joined the U of A's Faculty of Physical Education in 1960 to build the intramural program and coach the Golden Bears wrestling team.
Fracas was later named head coach of Bears football in 1963 and led the team to three straight Hardy Cups. In his first season, Alberta defeated Queens in the 1963 Golden Bowl – an unofficial national championship game.
As a football player, Fracas had a successful career at the University of Western Ontario winning two Yates Cups before going on to play in the CFL, where he won two Grey Cups with the Edmonton Eskimos (1954 and 1955).
To read Fracas' complete Hall of Fame biography, click here.
ABOUT THE CANADA WEST HALL OF FAME
For the last century, organized university sport has been a central part of the student experience at institutions across Western Canada. Beginning with the University of Manitoba capturing the first Western Canadian Intercollegiate Athletic Union (WCIAU) men's hockey banner in 1919-20, student-athletes have been competing to reach their full potential in sport and the classroom, while enriching campus life.
To commemorate 100 years of university sport across Western Canada, the Canada West Hall of Fame was created in the spring of 2019, with the first induction class set to be unveiled throughout the 2019-20 season.
VISIT: CanadaWestHallofFame.org