ARGONAUTS.CA STAFF
TORONTO — The Toronto Argonauts Football Club would like to congratulate former head coach Don Matthews who will enter the Canadian Football Hall of Fame as a builder in 2011. Coach Matthews led three of the greatest teams in Argonauts history including 1990, 1996 and 1997 – the latter two culminated in a pair of Grey Cup championships.
Matthews coached the Argonauts in 1990, 1996-98 and again in 2008, and charged his teams to two first place finishes in the East. 1990, 1996 and 1997 are still three of the top-5 highest scoring teams in club history. His all-time regular season record with the Boatmen is 49-30and he holds the record for most regular season wins in a season by an Argos head coach.
‘The Don’ started his professional coaching career as a linebacker coach with the Edmonton Eskimos in 1977 and became the defensive coordinator the following season in 1978. He helped coach the Edmonton Eskimos to five consecutive Grey Cup titles from 1978 through to 1982.
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Don Matthews is one of 54 Toronto Argonauts to enter the Canadian Football Hall of Fame after a record-setting coaching career that saw him bring Toronto two Grey Cups in 1996 & 1997. For a complete list of Argo Hall of Famers, click here.
In 1983, Matthews became head coach for the BC Lions. He coached the Lions to their first Grey Cup appearance in 19 years that season. In 1985, he coached the team to a Grey Cup victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and earned his first Coach of the Year honour.
In 1994, Matthews was named head coach of the US expansion team, the Baltimore Stallions. He coached the Stallions to a Grey Cup appearance in 1994 and a Grey Cup victory in 1995.
That same season he became the sixth CFL head coach to record 100 regular season wins. In 1996, Matthews became head coach of the Toronto Argonauts. He coached the Argonauts to back-to-back Grey Cup victories in 1996 and 1997.
In 1997, Matthews broke Frank Clair’s record for most regular season coaching wins with 147. Matthews became head coach of the Montreal Alouettes in 2002 and coached the team to a Grey Cup victory that season and won his Coach of the Year.
He also coached the Alouettes to Grey Cup appearances in 2003 and 2005. Matthews coached a total of 22 season and 365 games in the CFL. At the time of his retirement, he had the most victories of any Coach in CFL history with 231 wins, 133 losses, and 1 tie. He also holds the record for most Grey Cup wins by a head coach with 5 and most Grey Cup appearances by a head coach with 9.
The Argonauts would also like to congratulate former DE Joe Montford who will join Matthews, along with Danny McManus, Terry Vaughn, Ken Lehmann, Gino Fracas and Chris Flynn.
Best known for his time with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Montford played one season (2002) with the Boatmen as part of a remarkable career that saw him become one of the most feared pass rushers in CFL history. In his lone season in Toronto, Montford played 18 games in Double Blue making 72 tackles, forcing three fumbles, team-leading 9 QB sacks and 7 tackles for a loss. He earned both East Division and CFL all-star accolades.
This year’s induction weekend will be hosted by Calgary Stampeders September 14-18. The new inductees will bring the total Hall of Fame members to 251 members already included in the Hall’s Zone of Champions, which features busts of each member of the Hall. The Canadian Football Hall of Fame and Museum operates as a non-profit registered charity. Located in Hamilton, Ontario since 1963, and in its current location next to Hamilton City Hall since 1972, the Hall is home to more than 30,000 Canadian football artifacts, ranging from equipment and trophies to photos and videos.