(Calgary) The Calgary Stampeders will add the name of their former head coach and general manager Wally Buono to their Wall of Fame.
The Canadian Football League club made the announcement Monday.
Buono joined the Stampeders organization in 1987 in an assistant coaching role. He became their head coach in 1990.
He remained in this position until 2002, and led the team to first place in the West Division on seven occasions. At the helm of the Stampeders, he also participated in six Gray Cup finals and won the precious trophy three times.
In 1992, he added the duties of general manager.
Buono holds the team records for most games coached (234), victories (153), playoff game victories (12) and championships.
In 2003, he joined the British Columbia Lions as head coach and general manager. He remained with this organization until his retirement at the end of the 2018 season.
Buono will be honored at halftime of the July 21 game against the Lions.
“We are thrilled to reinstate the Wall of Fame, and honoring Wally is the best way to mark this historic occasion,” said Stampeders president Jay McNeil, who played nine seasons for Buono as a player. offensive lineman for the Stampeders.
“Wally was an excellent coach and general manager and his success with the Stampeders teams of the 1990s and early 2000s stands as an indelible chapter in the proud history of the franchise. »
Buono also leads the Lions in wins with 162 and led the team to two Gray Cup victories.
On September 19, 2009, he moved into first place in Canadian Football League history for most wins by a head coach, eclipsing the mark of 231 that belonged to the late Don Matthews.
Buono retired with a total of 282 career regular season wins as a CFL head coach.
In total, he won the Gray Cup on seven occasions, including twice as a player with the Montreal Alouettes, in 1974 and 1977. He also earned the title of head coach of the year four times.
Buono was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2014.