Wally Buono

Pasquale "Wally" Buono  (born February 7, 1950) is a Canadian ex-football coach currently working as the vice president of football operations, alternate governor and the former head coach of the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL), and one of the most successful head coaches in league history. He has spent 22 years as head coach of the Calgary Stampeders and the Lions, which is tied for the most seasons coached all-time. On September 19, 2009, Buono became the CFL's all-time winningest coach when his Lions beat the Toronto Argonauts 23–17, giving him 232 regular-season victories, passing Don Matthews. He retired in 2011 with a CFL record 254 regular-season wins as head coach, to focus on duties as general manager for the Lions. In 2016, Buono came out of retirement to coach the Lions again through the 2018 season. In the final home game of the 2018 season, Buono was honored with the Bob Ackles Award as he was retiring from football with the most wins as a coach.

Long before coaching Buono was a linebacker and punter for 10 seasons with the Montreal Alouettes, appearing in 152 consecutive games, not missing one, and in five Grey Cup games between 1972 and 1981, winning two in 1974 and 1977.

Buono's post-season coaching record is 23–17, with five Grey Cup victories in nine appearances. He won the Grey Cup championship in 1992, 1998 and 2001 as head coach of the Stampeders and in 2006 and 2011 as head coach of the Lions. He won the Annis Stukus Trophy as the CFL's Coach of the Year four times, in 1992, 1993, 2006, and 2011, second only to Don Matthews, who had five.

Early years and playing career
Born in Potenza, Italy in 1950, Buono moved to Canada in 1953 with his family. He became interested in football after playing pick up games as a youth in Montréal-Nord, Quebec and being encouraged by CFL all-star Al Phaneuf, a Christian who was coaching a youth football team at one of Montreal’s parks (who invited Buono to join the team.)  Soon after, he began playing minor football in Montreal, Quebec.

Buono 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 consecutive games, not missing one in his career. He appeared in five Grey Cups between 1974 and 1979, winning two in 1974 and 1977.

Montreal Junior Concordes
In 1982, after his retirement as a player, Buono served as a coach with the Montreal Junior Concordes.

Montreal Concordes & Montreal Alouettes
From 1983 to 1985, he was an assistant coach with the Montreal Concordes, and then in 1986 with the Montreal Alouettes.

Calgary Stampeders
From 1987 to 1989, Buono served as an assistant coach with the Calgary Stampeders under head coaches Bob Vespaziani and Lary Kuharich.

Head Coach
In 1990, Buono was hired as Calgary's head coach by Stampeders president Norman Kwong. Calgary defeated Edmonton in the final game of the regular season to clinch first place in the West Division for the first time since 1971. Calgary would lose the West Final at home to Edmonton 43-23.

In 1991, Calgary finished second in the West, defeated the BC Lions in the Semi-Final, and beat Edmonton in the West Final in Edmonton. This was Calgary's first meaningful win in Edmonton since 1980. Calgary qualified for the Grey Cup for the first time since 1971, but ultimately lost to Toronto 36-21.

In 1992, Buono added General Manager to his title. Calgary finished with the most wins in the CFL for the first time since 1967. Calgary beat Winnipeg 24-10 in the Grey Cup, the team's first Grey Cup win since 1971. Buono was named CFL Coach of the Year for the first time.

In 1993, under Buono's leadership, Calgary started 10-0, and finished 15-3. Calgary was hosting the Grey Cup, but the Stampeders ended up losing the West Final at home to Edmonton, who would go on to win the Grey Cup. Buono was named CFL Coach of the Year for the second time.

Going into the 1994 season, Buono's Calgary teams had never lost a regular season game before August 1. In game 1 on July 8 in Saskatchewan, it looked like this streak would continue as Calgary held a 21-0 lead going into the third quarter. However, Saskatchewan scored 22 second half points, including the winning touchdown on the last play of the game. Despite this setback, Calgary finished 15-3, and scored a league record 698 points. Calgary's season would end much like it started, when BC came to Calgary for the West Final, and scored the winning touchdown on the last play of the game. BC would go on to win the Grey Cup.

In 1995, perennial outstanding quarterback, Doug Flutie, suffered an injury. In his absence, Jeff Garcia emerged, and helped guide Calgary to another 15-3 season. Calgary would come up short in the Grey Cup, losing 37-20 against the Baltimore Stallions, the first American team to win the Grey Cup.

Calgary would finish first in 1996 and second in 1997 (the year Buono earned his 100th win as a head coach), but did not win any playoff games. In 1998, Calgary finished first, defeated Edmonton in the West Final, and played Hamilton in the Grey Cup. Trailing by 1 point late in the game, Garcia engineered a drive which would allow placekicker Mark McLoughlin to kick the game-winning field goal. Calgary won 26-24, giving Buono his second Grey Cup win as a head coach.

In his final 4 seasons in Calgary, Buono reached the Grey Cup twice, losing in 1999, and winning in 2001 with a team that won 8 regular season games.

In Buono's 13 seasons as Calgary's head coach, he amassed a regular season record of 153–79–2. His 153 wins placed him second all-time in CFL history for a head coach at the time, and were the most wins for a CFL Head Coach with a single team.

He led the Stampeders to the playoffs for 12 consecutive seasons, including 8 first-place finishes and 5 straight from 1992 to 1996, and 11 Division Final appearances. His teams only missed the playoffs once, in 2002. The Stampeders went to 6 Grey Cup games under Buono, winning 3: 1992, 1998, and 2001, and losing 3: 1991, 1995, 1999. He left the franchise as its winningest coach in championships, allegedly only leaving because the Stampeders attempted to force him to play Kevin Feterik, the owner's son, as the starting quarterback, a charge both the Feteriks denied.

BC Lions
Buono was hired as head coach and general manager of the BC Lions prior to the 2003 season. In the first five seasons under Buono (2003–2007), the Lions went 62–27–1 in regular-season play, with five straight playoff appearances, four straight first-place finishes (2004–2007), 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. His teams went through a slight downturn for the following three seasons, including two that were under .500. His team returned to prominence in 2011 after they once again finished first in the west division and followed it with a 34-23 victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the 99th Grey Cup at home.

He announced his resignation as head coach of the Lions on December 5, 2011 to focus on his duties as general manager.

In 2014, he was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.

From 2012 through the 2015 CFL season the Lions failed to win any playoff games, despite making the playoffs all four seasons. On December 2, 2015, the Lions announced that Buono would resume his position as head coach for the 2016 CFL season after head coach Jeff Tedford announced his resignation following a disappointing 7-11 season. On March 2, 2016, the Lions announced that they had extended Wally Buono's contract (as a head-coach/GM) through the 2017 CFL season.

Following the 2017 season, Buono announced he was relinquishing the General Manager position in order to focus on his head coaching duties. Ed Hervey was hired as the new GM of the Lions. Buono retains his position as the Vice President of Football Operations. Buono also stated that 2018 will be his final year as head coach. With 129 wins over two stints, he is the winningest coach in Lions history, and one of the few coaches to top the all-time wins list with two CFL teams.

Style
Buono, along with John Hufnagel, Calgary's offensive coordinator under Buono from 1990 to 1996, and Tedford, an offensive assistant coach in Calgary in the early 1990s, implemented an offensive system that Buono used throughout his coaching career. The five- and six-receiver package became a staple in Buono's teams' offences. Also, Buono felt it was important that backup quarterbacks get sufficient time in practice to develop.

Calgary under Buono went to Grey Cups with the following starting quarterbacks: Danny Barrett, Flutie (2), Garcia, Dave Dickenson, and Marcus Crandell. In BC, Buono's starting quarterbacks in Grey Cup games were Dickenson (2) and Travis Lulay. Other quarterbacks who had success under Buono were Henry Burris, Mike McCoy, Ben Sankey, Casey Printers, Spergon Wynn, Buck Pierce, Jarious Jackson, and Jonathon Jennings.

Wally Buono Award
The Wally Buono Award was established in 2003 by The Saint Bernard Pass Charitable Foundation for the purpose of recognizing Canada's top junior football player. The award is a national award. Recipients must prove their athletic and leadership ability on the field as well as a high level of leadership within their community. The Saint Bernard Pass Charitable Foundation is the Swiss-based foundation of Christina Saint Marche. The winners of the award are as follows:


 * 2014 – LB Dylan Chapdelaine, Vancouver Island Raiders (BCFC/CJFL)
 * 2013 – QB Asher Hastings, Regina Thunder (PCF/CJFL)
 * 2012 – QB Jordan Yantz, Vancouver Island Raiders (BCFC/CJFL)
 * 2011 – SB Michael Schaper, Vancouver Island Raiders (BCFC/CJFL)
 * 2010 – DL Kleevens Jean-Louis, Châteauguay Raiders (QJFL)
 * 2009 – RB Andrew Harris, Vancouver Island Raiders (BCFC/CJFL)
 * 2008 – WR Cassidy Doneff, Calgary Colts (PFC/CJFL)
 * 2007 – RB Tristan Jones, Edmonton Wildcats (PFC/CJFL)
 * 2006 – QB Nate Friesen, Winnipeg Rifles (PFC/CJFL)
 * 2005 – RB Jeff Halvorson, Posthumous, Okanagan Sun (BCFC/CJFL)
 * 2004 – RB Chris Ciezki, Edmonton Huskies (PFC/CJFL)
 * 2003 – RB Alan Giacalone, Calgary Colts (PFC/CJFL)