Mississauga – At a media conference today, the Toronto Argonauts Football Club announced that it has parted ways with Head Coach Rich Stubler and the CFL’s most winningest coach Don Matthews will join the team as its new Head Coach.
Born in Massachusetts, Don Matthews is the longest serving and most decorated Head Coach in CFL history. He holds league head coaching records for most games coached (357), most wins (231), most seasons (21), most playoff seasons (18), most Grey Cup appearances (9) and is tied for most Grey Cup wins (5). He is also the only coach in CFL history to win the Grey Cup in four different decades.
The winningest coach in CFL history returns to Toronto where he won two Grey Cup championships in 1996 and 1997 and led the Argos to one of the most explosive offensive seasons in club history in 1990; the Argos scored a club record 689 points. Don Matthews has coached just 72 games for the Double Blue (1990, 1996-1998) and with an overall record of 42-30-0 is fourth in team history for most wins by a head coach boasting a .681 winning percentage.
Matthews has missed the playoffs only once in his legendary CFL career as a Head Coach. He has been Head Coach of the B.C. Lions, Saskatchewan Roughriders, Baltimore Stallions, Edmonton Eskimos and Montreal Alouettes. Matthews spent one season as Head Coach of the Orlando Thunder of the World League of American Football in 1991 before joining the Roughriders mid-season. Matthews joined the CFL as the Edmonton Eskimos’ Linebackers coach in 1977, and promptly won five straight Grey Cup championships as a Defensive Coordinator during the storied Edmonton Eskimos dynasty from 1978-1982.
Commented Matthews, “First of all, I appreciate the difficulty which my arrival has caused and want to acknowledge that. Being reunited with Adam, Pinball, Steve, Bill, Kavis, Nick and all my friends at the Argos excites me. We have had a lot of success together. The big picture was always on my mind – it is imperative that Toronto have a strong franchise on the field. I have had success here in the past and it is my intention to help do it again.”
Adam Rita, GM/VP, Football Operations, remarked, “The ship was heading in the wrong direction and we felt we had to bring in a new captain to put us in the best position to win each week, prepare us for the playoffs and build toward the Grey Cup. We wanted to bring Toronto fans the best and we believe the best is Don Matthews.”
Rich Stubler was appointed Head Coach of the Argos in December 2007 and led the team to a 4-6 record. This was Stubler’s first head coaching position after spending the past five seasons as the Argos’ Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator. Stubler began his CFL coaching career in 1983 and has coached on four Grey Cup championship teams.
Toronto Argonauts CEO Michael “Pinball” Clemons commented, “Today I say goodbye to a champion, a mentor and a friend. Rich was my right hand man for 6 seasons and his unbridled passion and unparalleled commitment to greatness is a big part of our rejuvenated prowess in the new millenium. This is a very difficult day and I’ve made the choice to celebrate the defensive genius, arguably the mind of the decade on that side of the ball. The entire Argos organization is proud of the contributions he’s made to our storied franchise. It is with great sincerity we wish Rich all the best in his future endeavours.”
The Toronto Argonauts are North America’s oldest professional football club, celebrating their 135th anniversary in 2008. As Toronto’s #1 community team through player involvement, community programs and The Argos Foundation, the Toronto Argonauts, a member of the Canadian Football League (CFL), have 15 Grey Cup championships to their credit. The Toronto Argonauts are privately-owned by two Toronto-based businessmen. For 2008 season ticket and group sales packages, please contact the sales team at (416) 341-ARGO. For more information on the Toronto Argonauts Football Club, please visit argonauts.ca.