Music: {allcanada} Buono named CFL coach of the year

Friday, March 2, 2012

{allcanada} Buono named CFL coach of the year

TORONTO -- Wally Buono of the Grey Cup-champion B.C. Lions is the CFL's coach of the year.

Buono received the Annis Stukus Trophy for the fourth time in his 22-year coaching career at a luncheon today.

Paul LaPolice of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Kavis Reed of the Edmonton Eskimos were finalists for the award.

Buono's team opened the season 0-5 and dropped six of its first seven games before rallying to finish tied with Edmonton and Calgary for the league's best record at 11-7.

B.C. finished first in the West Division after winning the head-to-head series with both Edmonton and Calgary, then dispatched the Eskimos in the conference final 40-23.

The Lions then capped an improbable championship run by downing Winnipeg 34-23 in the Grey Cup game at B.C. Place.

A week later, Buono stepped down as Lions coach to concentrate full-time on being the club's general manager and vice-president of football operations.