Don Matthews

As of this writing (2012), Don Matthews is the second winningest coach in CFL history with 231 victories and no challengers in sight.  Matthews served as the head coach of six CFL teams (BC, Edmonton, Saskatchewan, Baltimore, Toronto and Montreal) over a 30 year career from 1977 ton 2006.

Love him or hate him "The Don" was always colourful and good for a story.  As a defensive coach, Matthews was an inovator with an agressive defence that featured a high level of pressure on the opposing quarterback.

After completing highschool and three years in the United States Marines, Matthews was a walk-on at Idaho as a linebacker.  Matthews was the team captain in his senior year and graduated with a degree in Education.  Matthews got his first taste of coaching with Idaho as a graduate assistant in 1964 and then spent several years coaching highschool football.  Matthews spent a couple of seasons as an assistant coach bach at Idaho before coming to Canada.

Matthews first came to the CFL in 1977 as an assistant coach with the Edmonton Eskimos, a post he held until 1983. That makes Matthews a member of the five Grey cups in a row (1978-82) dynasty. In  1983, Matthews got his first head coaching job in the CFL with the BC Lions. In his five seasons (1983-87) at the helm of the Lions, Matthews compiled an excellent record of 56-23-1 for .706 win percentage. Matthews took the Lions to two Grey Cups in his tenure there, losing in 1983 and winning in 1985.

After one year out of the league in 1988, Matthews returned  to the CFL as an assistant coach for one season with Edmonton.  Matthews then went to Toronto in 1990 as the head coach of the Argonauts.  Mathews only last the one season with the Argos, but he would return to coach the team twice more in his career.  After leaving Toronto, Matthews' next stop was Saskatchewan as their head coach for three seasons (1991-93). With the green and white, Matthews compiled a 24-22 record.

From the wheatfields of Saskatchewan, Matthews departed for Baltimore as the CFL expanded South.  Matthews coached the Baltimore Stallions for two seans (1994-95), taking the team to the Grey Cup both years and winning it in 1995 - the only American based  team to win the Grey Cup.

Matthews' next stop was his second visit to Toronto as a head coach.  The second stint, which lasted t hree seasons from 1996-98, was much more successfu, with the Argonauts winning he Grey up in both 1996 and 1997. Matthews also served as the GM for the Argos for two of his three seasons (1997-98).

Edmon was the next stop for Matthews as head coach, where he served two seasons (1999-2000).

Mathews'sixth team as head coach were the Montreal Alouettes who he took over in 2002 and stayed until late in the 2006 season.  Matthews compiled a 58-28 mark with the Als and took them to three Grey Cup.  Matthews got his fourth Grey Cup ring with a victory in 2002, but suffered losses in 2003 and 2005.

Matthews returned to Toronto for third time as head coach in 2008.  Matthews took over a bad Argo t eam partway through the season and was unable to get a win his third visit to Toronto.

In total, Matthews was a head coach in the Grey Cup 9 times and won 5 of them. Mattews was also a 5 time winner of the Annis Stukus Trophy as coach of the year in the CFL ( 1985, 1994, 1995, 1997 and 2002).

Don Matthews was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2011.

Partway through the 2014 season, Matthews made a surprising return to the Montreal Alouettes coaching staff as a "consultant". The Alouettes had gotten off to a slow start in the first year of the post Calvillo era and quarterback Troy Smith was struggling. Matthews, along with Jeff Garcia (QB coach) and Turk Schonert (ereceivers coach) were brought on board and helped turn Montreal around, getting them into the playoffs and and as far as the East final before losing out to Hamilton.

Don Matthews on fanbase.com

Don Matthews in Wikipedia

Matthews fom a Montreal Media Guide

Things are not so Shaky for Don Mattews - Feb. 9, 1983

Matthews Still Has a Friend in Saskatchewan - October 5, 2006

Als Begin Post-Matthews Era - October 9, 2006

Matthews at 69, Replaces Stubler as Argo Head Coach - September 9, 2008

Don Matthews on the Argonaut Web Site

Don Matthews Unconventional Path to the Hall of Fame

Don Mtthews in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame

Former Alouettes Coach, Don Matthews Enjoying Life After Football - June 6, 2012

Matthews Shows Gentler Side as Guest Coach at Als Camp - June 6, 2012

Age and Cancer Have Mellowed Mathews - October 11, 2013

Matthews returns to Alouttes as a consultant

 

 

 

Don Matthews

Don Matthews

Don Matthews

Don Matthews

Don Matthews