Hi folks,
I was inspired by a post in another thread to do some number-crunching and make a comparative list of the major Tiger-Cat coaches in history in terms of service and victories. I have deliberately omitted coaches who did not 1) serve as long or 2) attain the number of victories these men did.
I have ranked them two ways. First of all, I have given the all-time records first (regular season and playoffs), followed by an individual breakdown season by season. The final ranking is by a combination of Grey Cup wins, followed by overall winning percentage, and finally by total wins.
Please note there may be discrepancies, but I think the math and history is pretty tight. I have included explanatory notes where the records may appear strange.
All-time records:
1) 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.
2) 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)
3) Carl Voyles (1950-1955)
OVERALL: 54-36-1 (.599)
Regular Season: 48-27-1 (.638)
Playoffs: 6-9 (.400)
1 Grey Cup (1953)
4) 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)
*- missed 6 regular season games in 1987 due to a mild heart attack, replaced for remainder of regular season by Ted Schmitz
5) Jerry Williams (1972-1975)
OVERALL: 32-32-1 (.500)
Regular Season: 30-29-1 (.508)
Playoffs: 2-3 (.400)
1 Grey Cup (1972)
6) Ron Lancaster (1998-2003, 2006)
OVERALL: 60-69-1 (.465)
Regular Season: 55-66-1 (.455)
Playoffs: 5-3 (.625)
1 Grey Cup defeat: (1998)
1 Grey Cup (1999)
The breakdowns (regular season / playoffs / GC (Grey Cup)) :
Sazio:
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.
Trimble:
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.
Voyles:
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.
Bruno:
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.
Williams:
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.
Lancaster:
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.
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.
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,