Wally Buono
[edit] BiographyWally Buono enters his fifth season as the Lions Head Coach and General Manager, as well as the Alternate Governor of the CFL. Over the past three seasons, Buono has led the Lions to three consecutive playoff appearances and two consecutive first-place regular season finishes. Over a 16-year coaching career, Buono has led his clubs to nine division titles and three Grey Cup championships. Highly-respected among coaching peers, he has amassed a regular season record of 188-98-2, putting him second only to Don Matthews in all-time CFL wins. His consistency and success have been recognized with the CFL's Coach of the Year award in 1992 and 1993. Born in Potenza, Italy, in 1950, Wally moved to Canada in 1953 with his family, later playing minor football in Montreal. He attended Idaho State University and was a linebacker for the Bengals. Wally returned to Canada and played 10 seasons with the Montreal Alouettes as a linebacker and punter, playing in 152 games. Shortly after his retirement, Wally tried his hand at coaching, landing an assistant position with the Montreal organization in 1983. Four years later, Wally found himself in Calgary where he worked under Larry Kuharich until 1990 when Stamps' President Norman Kwong hired him as Head Coach of the Stamps. Aside from being an accomplished CFL coach, Wally is a noted contributor to the community, being recognized for his work with the Paul Harris Award in 2001. Wally continues to donate a significant amount of time as an ambassador of the Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation and as a spokesperson for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. After being diagnosed with angina in 2004, Wally has been spokesperson for Making the Connection TM, a program dedicated to the ongoing education of Canadians about the dangers of high cholesterol and its link to heart disease. Wally is also actively involved with Operation Christmas Child, giving presents of clothing and toys to children of impoverished nations. Wally and his wife Sande have four children, Amy, Dana, Christie and Michael and one Bichon Shih-Tzu named Heidi.
[edit] Statistics<stats> Coaches= Wally Buono Sport= CFL </stats> <stats> Players= Wally Buono Sport= CFL </stats>
[edit] References[edit] Related Articles[edit] Recent Wally Buono ArmchairGM Stories
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