Michael Faulds made what he called the “agonizing” decision to leave Wilfrid Laurier in the same position after 13 years as head coach. Western University.
“Wwhat's worse, nowadays in the world of social networks, it had to be kept so quiet. He couldn't get out there that I even applied and went through the process. I didn't want my family to have to go through this I didn’t want Laurier players or even Western players to go through that,” Faulds said. 3DownNation.
“It’s a shame it had to be kept so quiet. Aand suddenly at 15:00 (Monday) everyone was shocked by this. I had to do what was best for my familyand that’s what allows me to sleep at night.”
The Mustangs offered one key thing that the Golden Hawks couldn't: sentimental value. Faulds played quarterback in the program and he met his wife Stacey at her hometown school while on campus in London, Ont. It was a classic movie stereotype: star QB dating cheerleader. The relationship grew into marriage and the birth of two children: 11-year-old Chloe and nine-year-old Lucas.
“You get your stakeholders involved, for me it is my wife and my children. I had to ask the kids: are you ready to move? People think you're a football coach, yes.you make a decision – it was a family decision. We did everything from the pros and cons,” Folds said.
“I want people to know that this was a very difficult decision. I'm upset about the people I left behind at Laurier. and these relationships – I love them very much, both coaches and players. But at the same time, I hope it's okay to be as excited as I am. go back to where I had blood, sweat and tears Where I ran out of this tunnel.
The 42-year-old has taken over as head coach Greg Marshall's position on the second floor of Alumni Stadium. It's the same room in which he sat with Marshall and his predecessor Larry Haylor, studying film and making game plans when he was the Western quarterback from 2005 to 2009. Eden Mills, Ontario. Native won two Yates Cups with the Mustangs in 2007 and 2008 and remains the program's all-time rushing leader with 10,811 passing yards.
“There is something special about these five years. I said this when recruiting, have I been recruiting in York, recruiting in Laurier, and what am I going to do here – ie.hose years, young people when they're at university it really helps shape you. Youin fact, your best friends in life are the guys you play with at university sport with bbecause you are surrounded by like-minded people who worry the same adversity, pain, struggle and exciting momentsFolds said.
“I can't say a single negative word about Laurier. I really enjoy this chapter in my life. For Michael Faulds and his family, it's time to begin the next chapter. This is hard for some people to hear, but I think a 13 year chapter is a long time I think a 13 year old chapter is good. IIt's okay, it wasn't a 30-year chapter. We can still look positively on this 13 year chapter and my family and I are starting a new one.”
Before officially being announced as Western's head coach, Folds poured his heart out in an email to Golden Hawks players and coaches. He agreed with the two schools to keep the process secret. On Monday, as he sat in Marshall's truck, his sisters texted him asking, “Why didn't you tell us at Christmas?” Family members other than his wife and children did not even know that his decision had been made.
“I wish I could call a team meeting on the first day of the new semester and invite the Laurier football coaches and the players there? Yes, 100 percent. But then we'd have the theatrics of Lane Kiffin, where Ole Miss called a team meeting at two o'clock,” Folds explained.
“I'd like to do it personally, I said this in an email, b.but I hope that our players and coaches at Laurier admit that Coach Folds' sisters didn't know ahead of time. HOURWe were embarrassed today by social media. that we want institutions, both Laurier and Western, to be able to collaborate and report news together.”
Faulds understands comparisons to Kiffin, who left the University of Mississippi to become head coach at Louisiana State University, rival schools in the same conference. Ole Miss as a team was better than LSU in 2025, just as Laurier was better than Western last year. In fact, the Golden Hawks handed the Mustangs their worst loss of the Marshall era, 60–13, in the final week of the OUA regular season. It also gave WLU three straight decisive wins over Western on the football field.
“I think the big difference is Lane Kiffin wasn't LSU's quarterback. Lane Kiffin's wife's family is not from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Michael Faulds played five years for the Western Mustangs. Stacy Folds was a Western Mustang and our family is here. The comparison ends with the theatricality of the program. programming and being a head coach to a head coach,” Folds said.
“It's a simple comparison because this is very recent. It's the only thing you can think about because There really weren't any other OUA head football coaches. who became OUA's head football coach in another establishment without a space. There really was no such example I don't blame people for making that comparison.”
It won't be at Southeastern Conference level, but when Faulds returns to Wilfrid Laurier as Western's head coach during the 2026 OUA regular season, the reception will be less than hospitable. This rivalry between the two schools will become even more intense and will likely intensify in the coming years.
“There are similarities with the Lane Kiffin case, you I'll get a salary increase, the money will be different, bbut I don't think that's the reason Folds leaves. After all, this is his alma mater. There are family circumstances that contributed to this decision. Bother places have great programs and they were great programs for a while,” Taylor Elgersma said.
“Ultimately I think Laurier is in a better position than Western right now, and going to stay on top of OUA. Both programs are excellent bBoth programs are historically great. A lot depends on this decision than purely money, a purely programmatic situation or something like that, bbut I think it all has an impact.”
Last January Folds signed a five-year contract with the Golden Hawks.. A year later, he signed a five-year contract with the Mustangs. There was no buyout or guaranteed money owed—the bench manager simply terminated the agreement with Laurier and signed a new one with Western.
“My plan is to be here for now I don't want to coach football anymore. I admit that this was part of the decision too. HOURHow many more years will I coach? I looked at Coach Marshall, who had 18 amazing years. in this establishment. I said to myself, “I just turned 42, IIf I put it at 18, I’m already 60,” Folds said.
“This doesn’t mean I’m going to change coaches at 60 years old. This is where my family and I decided I wanted to be. Ithis is a five year contract, but I don’t expect it to end in five years.”
The Mustangs likely secured the pay raise. According to the latest list of sunny days for 2024, Folds earned $138,431 with the Golden Hawks. And That same year, Marshall raised $226,963.. If it were necessary along with other factors, increasing compensation could help tilt any decision toward a different shade of purple.
