BY PERRY LEFKO
sportsnet.ca

University of Waterloo head football coach Dennis McPhee is trying to fix the "collateral damage" caused by the school's decision to suspend its football program and put the coaches on administrative leave because nine of its players tested positive for steroid usage in March.

In an exclusive interview with sportsnet.ca, a clearly distraught McPhee said this is "absolutely" the toughest thing he has to deal with in his coaching career.

"The truth is, I'm not doing a heck of a lot other than manage the collateral damage that's been done to our kids," he said in a phone interview.

"I've had a lot of (players) wondering, 'what do I do?' There are questions I have to try to find the answers to like, 'What's the rules on transfering? How does this affect my draft year?' All I'm really doing is trying to help the kids.’"

McPhee, who has coached Waterloo for the past three years, said he had some knowledge of the announcement of the suspension before it was formally made public and, in fact, tried to change it.

"We had a little time, but you wouldn't believe what it's like around here. It's tumultuous," he said.

McPhee, who worked for 10 years as an assistant coach in the Canadian Football League with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, said he's never dealt with anything like this.

"We've got kids lined up outside my door here," he said. "I'm just trying to manage my kids."