When Wally Buono steps onto the field at McMahon Stadium on Sunday, he’ll soak in every moment in front of family, friends and fans.
Buono will become the 50th member of the Calgary Stampeders Wall of Fame during a halftime ceremony of their game against the visiting B.C. Lions.
“It is strange, but it’s good,” said Buono, who holds the Calgary franchise records for games coached (234), victories (153), playoff victories (12) and championships (three).
“Obviously, this is a tremendous honour — for myself and my family. To be back at McMahon where it all started, I’m very grateful for that.”
Buono won the Annis Stukus Trophy as CFL coach of the year four times and was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2013.
The now 74-year-old guided the Stamps to six CFL championship games after being appointed as coach by then general manager Normie Kwong in 1990, winning three Grey Cups in the process.
“Normie gave us an opportunity to be the head coach and (in 1992) the director of football operations and the GM, and that’s where things started,” Buono said. “It was a great run for us.”
Following 13 seasons with the Stamps, Buono joined the Lions in 2003 and became the franchise leader in wins with 162 in addition to becoming the winningest coach in CFL history on Sept. 19, 2009, when he passed Don Matthews’ previous mark of 231.
“I think standing at midfield and being recognized in front of the fans, it’s obviously something you’ll enjoy and you’ll totally respect that,” Buono said. “You don’t take a job saying, ‘we’ll I’m here to put my name up on the wall.’
“We’re not here to play games, we’re here to win games. I always preached that philosophy to the players wherever I was. Professional athletes are not paid to play. They’re paid to win and if you can’t help me win then you can’t be here. It’s a very simple philosophy.”
Calgary coach Dave Dickenson, who played quarterback under Buono for both the Stamps and Lions, said he’s happy to see Buono get the honour he rightly deserves.
“I only played for one CFL head coach, Wally Buono (for) 11 years,” said Dickenson, who considers Buono one of his mentors. “He did so many great things here in Calgary and he did start his career here and really — to me — had some of his best years. The Stampeders and Wally Buono should be known together and we’re happy to get him up on the wall.”
Micah Awe, who started his career as a linebacker with the Lions in 2017, said he owes a debt of gratitude to Buono for helping him become the player he is now with the Stampeders.
“I feel super honoured to have been coached by him, I truly, truly mean that,” Awe said. “I don’t think I understood the magnitude of it when I was a rookie, but now I do seven years later. He gave me an opportunity and I had to take the bull by the horns, because he wasn’t going to let me be average.
“I had him his last two years as a coach. It’s a blessing, and to be able to say that to my grandkids one day, it’s going to be awesome. He’s given me a lot of opportunities on and off the field.”
Calgary quarterback Jake Maier also had kind words for Buono, who retired following the 2018 season.
“He’s on the Mount Rushmore on CFL coaches and influencers of our league,” Maier said. “He’s made a huge impact on a lot of people in this organization. You can make a real strong case that he’s the reason why our organization is so relevant today with how successful he was.”
Although B.C. coach Rick Campbell never had the chance to work with Buono, he’s gotten to know the CFL coaching legend over the past few years.
“We live about 15 minutes apart from each other and we’ve had dinner a few times,” Campbell said. “Ultimate respect for guys like Wally that can win that many games for that long. It’s very unique. It’s really hard to do, so definitely we all look up to him.”