CCAA Hall of Fame Inductee: Germain Sanchez
Germain Sanchez, who guided the Humber Hawks to national championships in three different decades, will be inducted into the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Hall of Fame in the Coach Category.
Sanchez was the undisputed leader in helping Humber College become a national power in Men’s Soccer. The Hawks earned gold medals at CCAA Championships in 1995, 2001 and 2012 with Sanchez at the helm of the program.
Under Sanchez, Humber also earned a silver medal (1994) and three bronze medals (1998, 2000, 2010) at nationals.
“An extraordinary experience was meeting so many coaches and athletic directors from all over the country and being looked at with respect for all the work we did over the years,” said Sanchez. “We carved a name for our college and for the CCAA.”
After decades of difficulty establishing a varsity soccer program at Humber, Sanchez was brought in to lead the program once the sport was reintroduced in 1993 after an 11-year hiatus.
It only took one season for Sanchez to build a provincial champion, as the Hawks would capture the program’s first Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) title in 1994.
He followed that season up with a more impressive 1995 campaign, leading the Hawks to their first national title while finishing with an unbeaten record of 11-0-1.
Sanchez was named CCAA Men’s Soccer Coach of the Year in 1995 and 2001. He led Humber to eight conference championship titles and finished with an all-time record of 196-38-18.
He coached 16 CCAA All-Canadians, including two CCAA Men’s Soccer Players of the Year – Luigi Della Rovere (1997) and Andrew DaSilva (2009).
Beyond the wins and losses, Sanchez positively touched the lives of hundreds of student-athletes, leaving an ever-lasting impact at Humber and in the OCAA. Two of his former assistant coaches would go on to capture national titles as head coaches – Vito Colangelo and his successor, Michael Aquino.
Jason Mesa, another former player, is currently an assistant coach with the Humber Hawks. Mesa is extremely grateful for the impact Sanchez had on him.
“Over his distinguished career Germain’s success was attributed to his unique coaching style, never afraid to test his team’s boundaries, his ability to get the best out of his players was second to none, and his charm and charisma always found a way to bring a smile to those around him,” said Mesa.
Sanchez was inducted into the Humber Hall of Fame in 2006 and the OCAA Hall of Fame in 2017.
