Legendary CFL offensive line coach Dan Dorazio has passed away.
Dorazio was hired by Wally Buono in 1998 while he was the head coach and general manager with the Calgary Stampeders. The two were in Cowtown together through the 2002 season, which included two Grey Cup championships in 1998 and 2001. Buono moved over the Rocky Mountains with Dorazio to the B.C. Lions in 2003. He spent 15 seasons over two stints as the team’s offensive line coach.
His tenure with the Lions produced 14 West Division all-stars and 10 CFL all-stars along the offensive line with Rob Murphy (2006 and 2007) and Jovan Olafioye (2012) earning the league’s Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman award. Dorazio won Grey Cup rings in 2006 and 2011 with B.C., giving him four during his coaching career.
The football lifer was preparing for his second season on the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds’ coaching staff after previously being hired as co-offensive coordinator for Simon Fraser University in 2020.
“Along with being an unbelievable coach and lover of the game of football, Dan was beloved by all of his players and had a tremendous ability to make them better through his enthusiastic teaching of the game. Our thoughts are with his wife Lisa and their entire family,” B.C. Lions’ co-general manager Neil McEvoy said in a statement.
Dorazio’s CFL career also included stints with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2015 and Toronto Argonauts in 2019. He spent 26 years in the NCAA before coming north, including stints at the University of Hawaii, the University of Washington, Georgia Tech, and the University of Maryland.
