Achi news desk-
CALGARY –
The Calgary Stampeders will add former head coach/GM Wally Buono to their Wall of Fame, the CFL club announced Monday.
Buono joined the Stampeders as an assistant coach in 1987 before becoming head coach in 1990.
He remained in that position through 2002, leading Calgary to the top spot in the Western Division seven times, six Gray Cup appearances and three wins.
Buono added GM duties in 1992. He holds the franchise records for most games coached (234), wins (153), playoff wins (12) and championships.
He later joined the BC Lions as head coach and general manager in 2003 and remained with the club until his retirement after the 2018 season.
Buono will be honored at halftime of Calgary’s July 21 home game against BC
“We are excited to bring back the Wall of Fame and honoring Wally is the perfect way to mark this historic occasion,” said Calgary president Jay McNeil, who played nine seasons for Buono as an offensive lineman for the Stampeders. “Wally was an outstanding coach and general manager and his success with the Stampeders teams of the 1990s and early 2000s is an indelible chapter in the franchise’s proud history.”
Buono remains BC’s all-time leader in wins with 162 and led the franchise to two Gray Cup victories. He became the winningest coach in CFL history on September 19, 2009, passing the late Don Matthews’ mark of 231.
Buono retired with a total of 282 regular season wins as a CFL head coach. He was part of seven Gray Cup winning teams, including two as a player with the Montreal Alouettes, and received the Annis Stukus Trophy four times as the league’s coach of the year.
Buono was inducted into the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame in 2014.
This report was first published by The Canadian Press on April 8, 2024.
