General Athletics | 2/21/2015 11:12:00 AM

The Simon Fraser University community is saddened to learn that its founding Athletic Director and Head Football Coach, Lorne Davies, is battling health issues which have resulted in his hospitalization and subsequent transfer to palliative care.
 
The family has asked that the Clan, which Mr. Davies was so instrumental in creating, be informed of his condition and that his privacy be respected at this time.  Due to the severity of his illness, he is unable to accept visitors.
 
Mr. Davies requests that in-lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Lorne Davies Endowment. Click here: https://secure.e2rm.com/registrant/startup.aspx?eventid=168299
 
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to Lorne Davies and his family," said Senior Director of Athletics, Dr. Milton Richards. "Lorne is the heart and soul of Clan athletics and we are all saddened to learn of his health problems. We hope that he finds comfort in our prayers."
 
Davies became the first athletic director and football coach at SFU in 1965, and almost immediately began masterminding some of the most forward-thinking measures in Canadian university sport. Davies hired full-time coaches, promoted female participation in university sport, awarded athletic scholarships to student-athletes, and took the Clan on a path to compete in the United States against American competition, offering student-athletes access to the American athletic experience with a Canadian education.
 
These core values continue to drive the Clan athletic department today. Simon Fraser University is the only school in Canada that offers student-athletes access to the NCAA athletic experience and a Canadian education.
 
Davies chose the original Clan colours blue, red, and white, and often told audiences that blue represented Loyalty, red for Courage, and white for Integrity.
 
Davies coached the football program for eight years and his 34-21-1 record and .616 winning percentage remain the program's benchmark. Davies grew the Athletic Department from three programs – football, basketball and swimming – in 1965 to 11 programs when he retired in 1995.
 
After his retirement as Athletic Director, Davies continued to serve as executive director of the Terry Fox Humanitarian Award program until recently.
 
Davies is a member of the SFU Sports Hall of Fame (1986), Western Washington University Sports Hall of Fame (1995), Burnaby Sports Hall of Fame (2009), BC Sports Hall of Fame (2010), BC Football Hall of Fame (2011) and was also awarded the Premier of British Columbia Award in 1994, the Order of BC in 2000 and an honouray Doctorate of Laws in 2014.