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Michael “Pinball” Clemons was named a finalist for CFL Coach of the Year on Thursday.
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Mississauga – Michael ‘Pinball’ Clemons’
legacy on the sidelines continues to burn brightly as he has been named
a finalist for the CFL Coach of the Year award (Annis Stukus trophy)
for an unprecedented sixth consecutive season. 2007 finalists were
selected by voting members for the Football Reporters of Canada with
the winner being named on February 26 in Calgary at the annual CFL
Congress.
Commented
former Argonauts’ Head Coach, now CEO, Michael Clemons, “The players
I’ve had an opportunity to coach have been absolutely fabulous. Many
of my greatest joys as a coach were working through the more
frustrating and difficult times. With this sixth consecutive
nomination, I think I’ve finally figured it out. I actually had to
dismiss one of my coaches so that he could become Coach of the Year.
This time, should what I’m predicting come true when the winner is
announced, I won’t just be a gracious bridesmaid, I’ll be a proud one.”
Clemons’ final season as head coach was
both thrilling and inspiring. His Argos persevered through a slow start
and finished in first place for the second time in three seasons while
surging to a dramatic 9-1-0 record to close out the 2007 regular
season. Injuries forced him to devise game plans for four different
starting quarterbacks while leading the Double Blue to a sixth
consecutive playoff berth which tied Lew Hayman for the longest playoff
streak by a head coach in franchise history.
One of the greatest players to ever don an Argos jersey,
Clemons is now the second-winningest coach in team history with 68
wins; second only to Bob O’Billovich, and is one of just three coaches,
O’Billovich and Leo Cahill, in team history to coach at least 100 games
(124) with the Boatmen. He is also tied for third place, with Cahill,
in Argos’ history for most playoff appearances by an Argonauts Head
Coach with six. Clemons, who was promoted to club CEO on December 4,
2007, finishes his career with a lifetime regular season coaching
record of 68-55-1 and a .552 winning percentage – the highest among all
Argos’ head coaches post-World War II.
