Wally Buono
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Wally Buono (born 1950) is the head coach, general manager and alternate governor of the British Columbia Lions of the Canadian Football League and one of the most successful coaches in league history. In seventeen years as head coach of the Calgary Stampeders and BC Lions he has amassed a regular season record of 201-103-2, second only to Don Matthews, and holds the record for first-place finishes with eleven. His post-season coaching record is 18-12, with four Grey Cup victories in eight appearances. He won the Grey Cup championship in 1992, 1998 and 2001 as head coach of the Stampeders and in 2006 as head coach of the Lions. He has won the Annis Stukus Trophy as the CFL's Coach of the Year three times, in 1992, 1993 and 2006[1].
Born in Potenza, Italy in 1950, he moved to Canada in 1953 with his family. He played minor football in Montreal. He attended Idaho State University and was a linebacker for the ISU Bengals. He returned to Canada and played 10 seasons with the Montreal Alouettes as a linebacker and punter, appearing in 152 games. Shortly after his retirement, he landed an assistant coaching position with the Montreal Concordes in 1983. In 1987, he moved to Calgary and worked with the Calgary Stampeders under Larry Kuharich until 1990 when he was hired as head coach by Stampeders president Norman Kwong. Buono served as head coach of the Calgary Stampeders for thirteen years (1990-2002), amassing a regular season record of 153-79-2, with eight first-place finishes, including five straight from 1992 to 1996, and missing the playoffs only once, in 2002. The Stampeders went to six Grey Cup games under Buono, winning three in 1992, 1998, and 2001, and losing three in 1991, 1995, 1999.
Buono left the Stampeders in 2003 and was hired as head coach and general manager of the BC Lions prior to the 2003 season. In four seasons under Buono (2003-2006), the Lions went 48-24 in regular season play, with four straight playoff appearances, three straight first-place finishes (2004-2006), and two Grey Cup appearances: a 27-19 loss to the Toronto Argonauts in 2004 and a 25-14 victory over the Montreal Alouettes in 2006.
Buono is often credited with developing some of the best CFL quarterbacks of his era, such as Doug Flutie, Jeff Garcia, Dave Dickenson, and Casey Printers.
| Preceded by Lary Kuharich |
Calgary Stampeders Head Coaches 1990–2002 |
Succeeded by Jim Barker |
| Preceded by Adam Rita |
CFL Coach of the Year 1992–1993 |
Succeeded by Don Matthews |
| Preceded by Adam Rita |
B.C. Lions Head Coaches 2003– |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Preceded by Tom Higgins |
CFL Coach of the Year 2006 |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
[edit] External links
- Wally Buono at BCLions.com
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Categories: Canadian football stubs | British Columbia Lions coaches | 1950 births | American football linebackers | Canadian players of Canadian football | Canadian Football League coaches | Canadian Football League executives | Canadian Football League linebackers | Canadian Football League punters | Grey Cup champions | Idaho State Bengals football players | Italian immigrants to Canada | Living people | Montreal Alouettes players
