St. Francis Xavier University Men's Football

Bio Coach Waterman enters his 17th season as Head Coach, and his 20th season overall with the X-Men Football coaching staff. The six-time AUS Coach of the Year has won six AUS championship titles as Head Coach and was also named the 2022 U SPORTS Coach of the Year. For three seasons prior to his time as Head Coach, Waterman was the Defensive Coordinator with the X-Men. He has also served as the Offensive Coordinator for an X-Men team that set several school passing records and made an appearance in the U SPORTS top 10 at #6. He has also served as the Special Teams Coordinator for the X-Men. Coach Waterman brings a unique perspective to the Head Coach position, as his U SPORTS experience coordinating all three phases allows him to interact effectively with all the personnel on the team. This quality is rare across the country. His hiring in 2009 marked the first time in STFX history that an alumnus has led the X-Men football program. As a player in the White and Blue, Gary was impressive on both sides of the ball. From 1988-1992 he played both running back and defensive back and was recognized as a three-time AUS All-Star and two-time team captain. Prior to coaching at STFX Coach Waterman had a long and successful career as a teacher and coach at Father Michael Goetz Secondary School in Mississauga, Ontario, where he coached football, basketball, and track. Gary and his wife Andrea reside in Antigonish and have four children and two grandchildren.      

Snyder served as the offensive coordinator for U18 Team Canada and earned a victory over the USA in the International Bowl in Texas. Steve is also currently the head coach for the U18 Nova Scotia Canada Cup team.

Bio Jon Svec will once again serve as the X-Men Football Defensive Coordinator and Linebacker Coach for the 2025 season. This will be Svec’s 15th season overall with the X-Men football program, and his 13th season as the team’s Defensive Coordinator. He also served as the X-Men football Special Teams Coordinator for two seasons. Svec spent two seasons (2017, 2018) as the Special Teams Coordinator for the Team Nova Scotia U18 team, and was the Head Coach of the 2022 FNS U18 team. Prior to beginning his coaching career Svec played linebacker for the University of Waterloo Warriors for five seasons.

Bio Coach Daley will guide the Special Teams for his 11th season with the X-Men, along with assisting Head Coach Gary Waterman. Jim is in his 50th year of coaching football and has an extensive background with the CFL, having been a coach and administrator in the league beginning in 1991. He has experience as a Head Coach, positional coach, along with serving in Defensive, Offensive and Special Teams Coordinator positions. Prior to his most recent stint as Special Teams Coordinator in Toronto, he was the Special Teams Coordinator in Hamilton in 2012 where he helped set CFL special teams records. A native of Ottawa who resides in Calgary in the off-season, Coach Daley served as CFL Head Coach with Saskatchewan (1996-98), guiding the Roughriders to the 1997 Grey Cup game. His Roughriders appointment marked the first time a former CIS or CJFL Head Coach earned a CFL head coaching position. Daley was the Head Coach of the University of Ottawa and also spent time as an assistant coach with Carleton prior to joining the CFL ranks. His CFL coaching highlights saw him win a Grey Cup championship in 2001 as a member of Calgary’s coaching staff, and Coach Daley appeared in the title game again as Saskatchewan’s Special Teams Coordinator in 2010.

Bio Dave Van Den Heuvel returns as the team’s Offensive Coordinator, a role he initially took on in 2019. Prior to becoming the OC, Coach Van Den Heuvel spent five seasons as the team’s Offensive Line Coach, and in 2017 he took on the additional role of Assistant Offensive Coordinator. Van Den Heuvel has also coached extensively at the provincial and national levels. He was the Offensive Coordinator for the Team Nova Scotia U18 team in 2017, 2018, 2022, and 2024, and served as the U18 Head Coach in 2019. He also coached the offensive line for Team Canada in 2018. A graduate of Queen’s University, Van Den Heuvel is originally from Antigonish, NS, and began his coaching career at Dr. John Hugh Gillis Regional High School.