My All-Time Ticat Head Coach Record List, Vol. 5 (1950-2010)

Hamilton Tiger-Cats
1

Originally published 11.14.10, updated 5.29.11

My All-Time Ticat Head Coach Record List has been updated to reflect the end of last season.

This is my comprehensive all-time Tiger-Cat Coaching List from the 1950 merger to 2010. It is the fifth installment of this list.

My initial number-crunching efforts in assembling this list was listed at http://www.ticats.ca/index.php?name=PNp ... ic&t=14287 .

The coaching records for each head coach are first broken down chronologically, then the coaches are ranked at the bottom of this list.

The records are broken down per season in this way:
(regular season record) / (playoff record) / GC (Grey Cup if any).

The rationale behind the rankings will be explained in that section.

Russ Harrison

The List:

Carl Voyles (1950-1955)
OVERALL: 54-36-1 (.599)
Regular Season: 48-27-1 (.638)
Playoffs: 6-9 (.400)
1 Grey Cup (1953)

1950 7-5 / 1-1
1951 7-5 / 1-3
1952 9-2-1 / 1-2
1953 8-6 / 3-0 -- GC
1954 9-5 / 0-2
1955 8-4 / 0-1

Voyles was replaced after the 1955 season.

Jim Trimble (1956-1962)
OVERALL: 70-44-2 (.612)
Regular Season: 60-36-2 (.622)
Playoffs: 10-8 (.556)
4 Grey Cup defeats (1958, 1959, 1961,
1962)
1 Grey Cup (1957)

1956 7-7 / 1-2
1957 10-4 / 3-0 - GC
1958 10-3-1 / 2-1
1959 10-4 / 1-2
1960 4-10
1961 10-4 / 1-2
1962 9-4-1 / 2-1

Trimble left the Cats to coach Montreal following the 1962 season. CFL Coach of the Year in 1961 (first winner).

Ralph Sazio (1963-1967)
OVERALL: 60-24-1 (.712)
Regular Season: 49-20-1 (.707)
Playoffs: 11-4 (.733)
1 Grey Cup defeat (1964)
3 Grey Cups (1963, 1965, 1967)

The gold standard for Cats coaches. Period.

1963 10-4 / 2-1 -- GC
1964 10-3-1 / 2-1
1965 10-4 / 3-0 -- GC
1966 9-5 / 1-2
1967 10-4 / 3-0 -- GC

Sazio retired to the front office following the 1967 Grey Cup win. CFL Coach of the Year in 1964.

Joe Restic (1968-1970)
OVERALL: 22-21-3 (.511)
Regular Season: 22-17-3 (.560)
Playoffs 0-4 (.000)

1968: 6-7-1 / 0-1
1969: 8-5-1 / 0-1
1970 8-5-1 / 0-2

Replaced Ralph Sazio for the start of the 1968 season following Sazio's retirement from coaching. Restic was replaced by Al Dorow following the 17970 season.

Al Dorow (1971)
OVERALL: 8-8-1 (.500)
Regular Season: 7-7 (.500)
Playoffs: 1-1-1 (.500)

1971 7-7 / 0-1

Dorow took over from Joe Restic to begin the 1971 season. He was replaced by Jerry Williams after one season. The playoff tie was during a 2-game, total point East final with Toronto, won by the Argos.

Jerry Williams (1972-1975)
OVERALL: 32-32-1 (.500)
Regular Season: 30-29-1 (.508)
Playoffs: 2-3 (.400)
1 Grey Cup (1972)

1972: 11-3 / 2-1 -- GC
1973 7-7
1974 7-9 / 0-1
1975 5-10-1 / 0-1

Williams was fired following the 1975 season. He was replaced by George Dickson.

George Dickson (1976)
OVERALL: 0-2 (.000)

1976 0-2

Dickson was hired to replace Jerry Williams for the start of the 1976 season. He was fired after the second game and was replaced by GM Bob Shaw.

Bob Shaw (1976-1977)
OVERALL: 14-18 (.438)
Regular Season: 13-17 (.433)
Playoffs: 0-1 (.000)

1976 8-6 / 1-1
1977 5-11

Shaw replaced George Dickson after two games during the 1976 season, winning CFL Coach of the Year honours.. He was replaced by John Payne as coach after the 1977 season.

Tom Dimitroff (1978)
OVERALL: 1-3-1 (.300)

1978 1-3-1

Dimitroff lasted five games in 1978. He was fired and then replaced by John Payne.

John Payne (1978-1980)
OVERALL: 19-27-1 (.415)
Regular Season: 18-24-1 (.430)
Playoffs: 1-3 (.250)
1 Grey Cup defeat (1980)

1978 4-7 / 0-1
1979 6-10 / 0-1
1980 8-7-1 / 1-1

Replaced Tom Dimitroff as coach during the 1978.season. Lost the 1980 Grey Cup final to Edmonton 48-10 in Toronto and was subsequently replaced by Frank Kush.

Frank Kush (1981)
OVERALL: 11-5-1 (.676)
Regular Season: 11-4-1 (.719)
Playoffs: 0-1 (.000)

1981 11-4-1 / 0-1

Replaced John Payne following the 1980 season. Left for the Indianapolis Colts HC position after one year with the Cats.

Bud Riley (1982-1983)
OVERALL: 12-16-1 (.431)
Regular Season: 12-15-1 (.446)
Playoffs: 0-1 (.000)

1982 8-7-1 / 0-1
1983 4-8

Riley took over after Kush vacated the post at the end of the 1981 season. He was replaced by Al Bruno during the 1983 season.

Al Bruno (1983-1990)
OVERALL: 62-62-4 (.500)
Regular Season: 55-55-4 (.500)
Playoffs: 7-7 (.500)
3 Grey Cup defeats: (1984, 1985, 1989)
1 Grey Cup (1986)

1983 1-2-1 / 1-1
1984 6-9-1 / 2-1
1985 8-8 / 1-1
1986 9-8-1 / 2-1 -- GC
1987 6-6* / 0-1
1988 9-9 / 0-1
1989 12-5-1 / 1-1
1990 4-8

Bruno replaced Bud Riley late in 1983. He was fired during the 1990 season. Ted Schmitz replaced Bruno on an interim basis for the last six games of the 1987 season, going 1-5. Bruno came back to coach for the playoff game, which the Cats lost. He was CFL Coach of the Year in 1986.

Ted Schmitz (1987 interim)
OVERALL: 1-5 (.200)

1987 1-5

Subbed for Al Bruno in 1987 while he was recovering from a mild heart attack.

David Beckman (1990-1991)
OVERALL 2-12 (.143)

1990 2-4
1991 0-8

Replaced Al Bruno during the 1991 campaign and was fired during the 1992 one, replaced by John Gregory.

John Gregory (1991-1994)
OVERALL: 23-33 (.411)
Regular Season: 21-31 (.437)
Playoffs: 2-2 (.500)

1991 3-7
1992 11-7 / 1-1
1993 6-12 / 1-1
1994 1-5

Replaced David Beckman during the 1991 campaign. Gregory was fired during the 1994 season, replaced by Don Sutherin.

Don Sutherin (1994-1997)
OVERALL: 20-37 (.351)
Regular Season: 20-35 (.364)
Playoffs: 0-2 (.000)

1994 3-9
1995 8-10 / 0-1
1996 8-10 / 0-1
1997 1-6

Replaced John Gregory during the 1994 season. Fired during the 1997 season, replaced by Urban Bowman. The team finished 2-16 that year.

Urban Bowman (1997)
OVERALL: 1-10 (.111)

1997 1-10

Replaced Don Sutherin during the 1997 season. .

Ron Lancaster (1998-2003, 2006 interim)
OVERALL: 60-69-1 (.465)
Regular Season: 55-66-1 (.455)
Playoffs: 5-3 (.625)
1 Grey Cup defeat: (1998)
1 Grey Cup (1999)

1998 12-5-1 / 1-1
1999 11-7 / 3-0 -- GC
2000 9-9** / 0-1
2001 11-7 / 1-1
2002 7-11
2003 1-17
2006 4- 10

**- two points were awarded to the Cats in 2000 for overtime losses

Lancaster resigned following the 2003 season. He took over from Greg Marshall on an interim basis in 2006. CFL Coach of the Year in 1998.

Greg Marshall (2004-2006)
OVERALL: 14-26-1 (.341)
Regular Season: 14-25-1 (.363)
Playoffs: 0-1 (.000)

2004 9-8-1 / 0-1
2005 5-13
2006 0-4

Took over from Ron Lancaster beginning in 2004. Replaced by Lancaster following a 0-4 start last year (2006). CFL Coach of the Year in 2004.

Charlie Taaffe (2007-2008)
OVERALL: 5-23 (.179)
Regular Season: 5-23 (.179)
Playoffs: 0-0

2007 3-15
2008 2-8

Hired as replacement to interim coach Ron Lancaster beginning in 2007. Fired ten games into the 2008 season.

Marcel Bellefeuille (2008-present)
OVERALL: 19-27 (.413)
Regular Season: 19-25 (.385)
Playoffs: 0-2

2008 1-7
2009 9-9 / 0-1
2010 9-9 / 0-1

Hired on an interim basis to replace the fired Charlie Taaffe. Bellefeuille was named the permanent replacement to Taaffe on October 27, 2008.

Please note that in some years, there were two-game, total point rounds to determine winners in the Eastern playoffs -- including two 2-game/total-point affairs for the 1951 semis and final. This explains years where the Cats suffered multiple defeats in the playoffs.

All-time Tiger-Cat Coaching Rankings

I have ranked the Tiger-Cat head coaches using the following criteria:
a) Grey Cup victories
b) Overall winning percentage
I have avoided any intangible considerations in this list. I am dealing strictly with all-time records using the criteria above.

Group A – Grey Cup Champions

1) Ralph Sazio (1963-1967) OVERALL: 60-24-1 (.712) 3 Grey Cups

  1. Jim Trimble (1956-1962) OVERALL: 70-44-2 (.612) 1 Grey Cup

  2. Carl Voyles (1950-1955) OVERALL: 54-36-1 (.599) 1 Grey Cup

  3. Al Bruno (1983-1990) OVERALL: 62-62-4 (.500) 1 Grey Cup

  4. Jerry Williams (1972-1975) OVERALL: 32-32-1 (.500) 1 Grey Cup

  5. Ron Lancaster (1998-2003, 2006) OVERALL: 60-69-1 (.465) 1 Grey Cup

Group B – Non-Grey Cup Champion Coaches

  1. Frank Kush (1981) OVERALL: 11-5-1 (.676)

8> Joe Restic (1968-1970) OVERALL: 22-21-3 (.511)

  1. Al Dorow (1971) OVERALL: 8-8-1 (.500)

  2. Bob Shaw (1976-1977) OVERALL 14-18 (.438)

  3. Bud Riley (1982-1983) OVERALL: 12-16-1 (.431)

  4. John Payne (1978-1980) OVERALL: 19-27-1 (.415)

  5. Marcel Bellefeuille (2008-present) OVERALL: 19-27 (.413)

  6. John Gregory (1991-1994) OVERALL: 23-33 (.411)

  7. Don Sutherin (1994-1997) OVERALL: 20-37 (.351)

  8. Greg Marshall (2004-2006) OVERALL: 14-26-1 (.341)

  9. Tom Dimitroff (1978) OVERALL: 1-3-1 (.300)

18> Ted Schmitz (1987 interim) OVERALL: 1-5 (.200)

  1. Charlie Taaffe (2007-2008) OVERALL: 5-23 (.179)

  2. David Beckman (1990-1991) OVERALL 2-12 (.143)

  3. Urban Bowman (1997) OVERALL: 1-10 (.111)

  4. George Dickson (1976) OVERALL: 0-2 (.000)

I hope this little primer will add to the "best ever" debates on the site. Trimble had the most wins with 70, but Sazio wins hands-down in terms of winning percentage and number of championships.

Oski Wee Wee,

Russ

2

Many Ticat fans (myself included) think of the 67 Cats as the best team ever. That being right at the end of the Sazio era makes him look even more impressive. An amazing track record up to 66 and he went out with a bang.

3

Great work!

Extremely interesting and telling! Especially the extreme highs and lows of the Lancaster era. I don't think he gets enough recognition for sticking with this team through the worst of times, having to try do his jobs with extremely limited resources before Caretaker came along.

Thanks for posting!

4

It's sad that people here would rather post about ex kickers and other meaningless things rather that talk about the history of the team they claim to be a fan of. This amazing thread goes virtually ignored in the land of the mostly delusional and mellow drama addicted.

Sad but true..

5

Great era for Hamilton back then without Question. Even if Calgary would have faced the Ti-Cats in that Gey Cup Championship game, the outcome would have been the same/or not much different.

6

In the movie "Rudy", you can see Joe Restic's name every time Rudy went to the weekly roster sheet.

Meaningless trivia I know, but still :lol:

7

Why would Restic’s name, head coach of Harvard at the time, be on a Notre Dame roster sheet ?

Either his kid, grandson, or coincidental same name.

8

Doing a little research I find it was his son, Joe Restic, who was on that roster list. Close enough I suppose, but still meaningless trivia in the grand scheme.....(I warned ya'll).... :lol: :lol:

9

Great post, Russ! Keep em coming!

10

I went to almost every game in the Al Bruno era.
Someone else must remember the one and only time Al called a passing play on our first possesion.
The whole stadium gasped at the spectacle of it all. Incomplete. Never to be seen again.
My heart would soar when Al would march on the field with his arms flailing.
GO GET 'EM AL!
The defences he fielded are CFL legend period. Nothing comes close.
Al Bruno and Tom Jones are cut from the same cloth methinks'.

11

Al Bruno’s defences were good. But neither they, nor any other defences in CFL history, come close to the Ticat defence in 1967, under Ralph Sazio. They went their final 5 games without giving up a touchdown. That includes 11-8 and 26-0 wins in the east final against a very good Ottawa offence led by Russ Jackson, and a 24-1 demolition of Ron Lancaster, George Reed, Ed Buchanan, Hugh Campbell and the rest of the Saskatchewan team in the Grey Cup. I can remember that Ticat team, with players like Barrow, Henley, Mosca, and Stover, being so strong that we could and did quick-kick regularly, secure in the knowledge that we’d get the ball back fast, and in good field position. That was the finest defence I have ever seen, or ever expect to see.