Antoine Pruneau would have liked to continue defending the colors of the Ottawa Red and Black next season. But when he saw that the union was coming to an end, he rekindled an old flame.
He does not deceive anyone, his love for football is undeniable. This is why the day after the announcement of his retirement, Pruneau was presented as the new assistant defensive coordinator of the Carabins of the University of Montreal, his alma mater.
“I had expectations for next season with the Rouge et Noir. But the negotiations weren’t going anywhere, we weren’t really on the same wavelength regarding my role,” he said on the phone to The Press.
And that’s when there was a certain game of seduction.
I contacted a few teams and had offers, but in the end, the one from the University of Montreal was too interesting for me to pass up.
Antoine Pruneau
Convinced that there was still “good football” in him, it was rather the offer from the Carabins that caught his attention. The former fourth overall pick in the 2014 CFL Draft had already had a taste of coaching before joining the Carabins.
First, in 2017, he worked alongside Carabins head coach Marco Iadeluca as a defensive backs coach with Team Canada. He then put it all back in 2022 when he served as the Carleton University Ravens’ interim defensive coordinator.
“These experiences confirmed things, but the sting was already there. I will be able to experience the same emotions and the same passion as before, ”assures the former Gray Cup champion.
Hooked atoms
One factor that helped Pruneau in his decision-making is his good relationship with Iadeluca. “He’s a bit of a father figure,” he says.
The two have kept in touch since their time with Team Canada. They wrote to each other on a regular basis to discuss their respective backgrounds, a collaboration that proved fruitful.
Visibly interested in the man and the head of football that Pruneau represents, Iadeluca had been germinating the idea of leading the Carabins for a while.
“A few years ago, Marco [Iadeluca] told me about the position and asked me if it might interest me. But the timing wasn’t good and I wasn’t there yet in my career. »
The one who played his eight seasons in the CFL with the Rouge et Noir would like to point out that he applied like many other candidates and that he is delighted to have been selected. But this is the only position for which he saw himself hanging up his crampons.
I didn’t look at other coaching opportunities, I really wanted to learn from Marco and Denis [Touchette, coordonnateur défensif].
Antoine Pruneau
The 33-year-old Laval resident will thus be able to learn and, in turn, pass on his knowledge to students. One of his objectives will be that his troops do not repeat his mistakes.
“I started in a certificate and I was not really well organized. So I’m going to be able to confront them and help them in their choice and show them simpler avenues than the one I took,” he says.
The man who represented the Carabins for four seasons also wants to facilitate the transition to the world of professional sport. Even for “issues as silly as portfolio management”.
It will therefore be easy to trust him for much more serious questions; those concerning football.
Until death do us part
Among the values that are particularly close to his heart are loyalty and family. He wanted to come home, close to his parents and ready to start his new chapter as a father.
His allegiance to the Carabins is beyond doubt. Pruneau said he’s ready to spend as many years as possible with the university and has no interest in using it as a stepping stone to a career elsewhere.
But this loyalty is also intended for his sport.
“I don’t think I would be able to completely disconnect from football,” he says. In my game plan, it’s always going to be part of my life. »
And he’s already made sure that’s the case in this next chapter of his professional career.