Ode to Wally Buono: We Will Miss You Wally

This past weekend was another marathon of back to back hockey clinics where I had the opportunity to share nuggets and learn from over 70 coaches Saturday and Sunday. Thanks to our new landlord offering up their season tickets to the BC Lions, after the Saturday clinic, I headed downtown to see the last home game that Wally Buono would coach as has opted to retired at 67 years of age and 40 years as player, coach and executive member in the CFL. For me, it was a return back to the Dome for only a handful of times since the $400 Million rennovation to host the 2010 Olympics opening and closing ceremonies and past life working in security for BC Place for over 15 years.  During that tenure, I had the opportunity to see and interact with many of the coaches, players, executive and owners and none were the epitome of class like Wally Buono. It also was a reminder for me how things have changed in sports, when I worked at the stadium back in the “glory days” of the CFL many of the games had over 55,000 fans come out, for Wally’s last game just over 24,000 came out much like many other CFL teams like the Montreal Alouettes who play out of McGill vs. the albatross Big O. Wally set the bar high, after 22 years is retiring as the coach with the most wins as a Head Coach in CFL history as of today, has won 263 games as CFL coach (still has playoffs remaining to finish his last season), surpassing the legendary Don Matthews.  While at the helm of the Calgary Stampeders, he guided the team to 6 Grey Cup Championship games, winning in 1992, 1998 and 2001 before he accepted the invitation from Bob Ackles to become the head coach of the BC Lions in 2003. As head coach of the Lions, he guided the team to two more Grey Cup titles in 2006 and 2011, after the second he opted to step down from of head coach to become president and GM until he returned to coach the team for one more and will be his last season in 2018. Having played football as one of my many sports, I was looking forward to see how the Lions paid tribute to all that he accomplished. Thanks to numerous events happening in the city and challenges finding a parking spot, we were late arriving and missed the ring of honour pre-game where many of the former lions from the last 5 decades including slotback Jason Clermont who only in his second year when Wally became coach in ’03. In today’s Vancouver Sun he shared about Wally;

“It was more as a man..he’s honest, he’s forthright and he’s caring. Sometimes he’s going to say things you don’t want to hear, but after they’re said, and after you give it some time, you understand he’s right and it came from a place of love.”

The #1 characteristic of great coaches is that they care, and as the testimonials were shared on the big screen from former players, coaches and executives, even those that were not familiar with the impact that Wally had on the game soon became to realize why he is one of the greatest coaches and people that ever in the CFL, not because of the wins, but because he truly cared about his players and growing the game.

Scott Ackles, son of late great Bob Ackles, who recruited Wally away from the Calgary Stampeders, shared in the video testimonial that his father felt that Wally was the best person that he had ever known in the game of football.  That’s saying something, as Bob worked as an executive in the CFL, NFL (6 years with the Dallas Cowboys) and was instrumental in the development of the now defunct XFL and member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. Cameron Wake, who started his professional playing career with the Lions and coached by Wally for 2 seasons before he is now one the top pass rushers in the NFL shared that the mentorship he received from Wally was instrumental in helping him reach his goals.

Dave Dickenson, now head coach of the Calgary Stampeders, shared the same as he was mentored into one of the top quarterbacks in the CFL by Wally, as was Doug Flutie,  Heisman Trophy winner and one infamous for the “Hail Mary” when was the quarterback of Boston College played for Wally in Calgary and BC until he returned to the NFL.

Marv Levy, now 93 years old, who coached Wally during his days as a player for the Montreal Allouettes where he won 2 other Grey Cups , linebacker and punter, who then went on to coach the Buffalo Bills to 3 Superbowl Championship games, shared when interviewed by Ed Willes (Vancouver Sun) their recruiting practices both in Montreal and Buffalo “is we’d only bring players with high character.  Wally Buono and his teammates exemplified that.  Would have I dreamed he’d have the career he had. No. But I saw the qualities would make him a great head coach.” Although the players all shared in pre-game interviews they aspired to go get the W for Wally, in his last home game as a coach, the team struggled against Wally’s first team as head coach, the Calgary Stampeders and lost 25-9.  It was not until late in the first half when the Lions got a Safety (2 points) and Wally had to make the call to change quarterbacks in the second half where Jennings lead the Lions to a touchdown but was too much too late, Calgary had the Lion’s and many other western teams numbers to finish 1^st place in the west. John Hufnagel, now General Manager with Calgary, who has worked in executive and coaching roles in the CFL after he finished his great playing career also shared on the big screen how much Wally meant to him helping him become not just a great player, but great person. When the half time ceremony was held, Wally ran onto the field to receive the Bob Ackles award and jacket for being the winningest coach in CFL history and the first to greet him while he ran on the field was his grandchildren.

Then there was the testimonial from his family, his wife Cindy, Daughter, and all the grandkids how proud they were of Wally and having been a coach myself and the unselfish hours required to do so away from your family can relate all too well as one of the driving reasons for him to retire is so he can spend time with family and all of his grandkids. Although I have never coached professionally like Wally, nor do most of the grass roots coaches that permit kids to play the respective games they love across Canada and the world, one of the last takeaways I share with those coaches is to say Thank you at the end of every clinic or talk I do. Thank you for taking time away from your immediate families to be there for your extended families (fellow coaches, players and executive members). I know it is a big commitment and at times may seem to be a thankless job with the exception of the starbucks or Tim Hortons gift card you may receive at the end of the season. Thank you for putting your hand up to be a kids coach and if have not figured out already you have adopted many others in addition to your own as a parent coach. Thank you for your unselfish time you commit to the game, to keep it in perspective and remember it is just that. When that player comes to you at the end of a season to shake your hand or many years down the road to say thank you Coach… invite you to their high school graduation, wedding or other milestone, that is when you realize it. It’s just a Game. Someone will win, someone will lose. At the end of the day, it is a game but thanks to all the craziness we see on the sidelines at many youth sports today has forced youth sports organizers to post signs at the facilities like this one; Please recognize that the coaches that have put their hand up as volunteers and for many that share with me was because of their kids, but soon realize they adopted many others, but because they wanted to give back, develop skills of the game, skills of life and help them become better people. If they win a few or over 250 games over the course of their “career” like Wally did, that is just icing on the cake. When kids are asked why they play, they say fun.  When Amanda Visek asked them what is fun, #1 Is when they get to try their best and #2 is when coaches treated their players with respect.  This what Wally did during his tenure as a coach, think of all the players that developed under his watch, what a legacy that is. Coaches, remember our purpose or calling as coaches is to develop youth into adults. Don’t be a Kid’s Last Coach. Please ensure that your legacy is a positive one like Wally’s, the late great John Wooden, Clare Drake all those other amazing coaches that truly cared about their players. Let’s all work together so that we can bring the game back to the kids (including Wallys’ Grandkids) … where it belongs.