Brigham Young University has announced that it has hired former BYU Rugby captain Steven St. Pierre as the new head coach of the men’s rugby team. 

St. Pierre will take over responsibilities immediately for the five-time national championship team.

St. Pierre played rugby at BYU from 2005 to 2009 and captained the 2009 squad on their way to BYU’s first USA Rugby D1 national championship. He served as an assistant coach for BYU Rugby from 2012-2017.

“Steve is a great representative of the type of young men the BYU Rugby program has produced over the years,” said assistant dean of students Jim Slaughter in a statement. Slaughter oversees the BYU Extramural Program. “We look forward to the future of BYU Rugby and express deep gratitude for our former coaches and their invaluable contributions to the building of this program.”

St. Pierre will replace David Smyth, who coached the team from 1990-2018. Smyth led the team to national championships in 2009 and 2012, and Varsity Cup titles in 2013, 2014, and 2015. Smyth stepped down due to his dissatisfaction with how the Student Life department of BYU was overseeing the program. He has since taken a position as head coach of Utah Valley University.

A graduate of BYU, St. Pierre earned both his BS in accounting and master's of accounting from the Marriott School of Business in 2010. He is a certified public accountant and has worked as a tax manager for BDO.

“The BYU rugby team is a program that has had a huge impact on my life,” St. Pierre said in a statement. “I am grateful and excited for the opportunity to continue the great work that has been done by the previous coaching staff and to start working with the players towards a successful season.”

St. Pierre was considered a superb leader for the team when he played. An All-American, St. Pierre transitioned relatively quickly into coaching.