Chris Bertoia enters his 10th season as Head Coach, and has helped restore the football program to a place of prominence in the OUA. Under Bertoia’s leadership, the Warriors made three straight playoff appearances (2018, 2019, 2021), and in 2019, he led the Warriors to their first playoff victory in 20 years with a 44-21 win over Ottawa. In 2017, Bertoia was named the OUA Coach of the Year.
Since taking over the Warriors in 2015, Bertoia has had ten of his student-athletes receive U SPORTS All-Canadian recognitions, as well as seeing star quarterback Tre Ford win the U SPORTS Rookie of the Year (2017) and U SPORTS Player of the Year (2021). On top of the on-field success, Bertoia continues to foster an environment that allows his student-athletes to succeed in the classroom, with 42 players from the 2022-2023 academic year earning Academic All-Canadian honours. Coach Bertoia continues to emphasize the importance of recruiting and has helped foster a positive and encouraging environment making Waterloo a top choice for student-athletes across Canada. Bertoia has also seen 11 of his former players drafted into the CFL.
A graduate of the University of Waterloo, where he majored in Sociology with a minor in Legal Studies, Bertoia was a four-year starter for the Warriors football team, earning OUA all-star honours as an offensive tackle. Bertoia played in four consecutive Yates Cup Championships, winning the Yates Cup in 1997 and 1999.
Prior to his role at Waterloo, Bertoia served as the lead assistant, offensive line coach, and recruiting coordinator with the Western Mustangs football program from 2009 to 2014. Coach Bertoia built a reputation as a tireless worker and top recruiter while at Western, helping to gain the commitments of many nationally recognized blue-chip recruits, including three consecutive Doug Shuh award winners from the Waterloo region. During his tenure at Western, coach Bertoia also had 9 of his former O-Line players attend CFL training camps via the draft and free agency.
Prior to his role at Western, Bertoia was the full-time assistant coach at St. Francis Xavier University for four and a half years. While at StFX, Bertoia carried multiple roles as the offensive line coach, defensive line coach, recruiting coordinator and strength and conditioning coach. With the X-Men, Bertoia helped to coach the team to the Jewett Cup AUS conference championship game three out of four years. Three of the offensive linemen and one defensive lineman he coached at StFX were drafted into the CFL.
Coach Bertoia is passionate about the game and has a great rapport with the players.
Bertoia resides in Woodstock, Ont. with his wife Tracie and their two children, Johnny and Emma.
