The winningest coach in CFL history will have a role in selecting the next general manager of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
According to a report from Steve Milton of Ticats.ca, Wally Buono has been brought on board by managing partner Scott Mitchell to serve as his personal advisor during the selection process. The 74-year-old will also assist president of football operations Orlondo Steinauer in his search for candidates but will not have a formal say in which one is recommended or hired.
Buono spent 28 years as a head coach and general manager in the CFL with the Calgary Stampeders and B.C. Lions, surpassing Don Matthews as the CFL’s all-time leader in coaching victories in 2009. He retired in 2018 with a record 282 wins and 450 games coached, as well as five Grey Cup victories. He was enshrined in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2014.
Since stepping away from the sideline, Buono has occasionally lent his expertise as a consultant for CFL job searches. In 2019, he assisted the Montreal Alouettes in their GM search, which resulted in the hiring of Danny Maciocia. That selection has worked out well, with the Alouettes winning the Grey Cup in 2023.
In 2021, Buono advised the Edmonton Elks in their quest to find a head coach and general manager, a role that eventually went to Chris Jones. His firing mid-season set the stage for the Elks to poach Ticats’ general manager Ed Hervey earlier this week, prompting the job search in Hamilton.
While Buono will provide support for the Ticats, the ultimate decision-making power on which candidates to recommend will rest with Steinauer. His finalists will then go before a selection committee that includes himself, Mitchell, and chief operating officer Matt Afinec.
The Ticats have already been granted permission to speak to Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ assistant general managers Danny McManus and Ted Goveia — the latter of whom was reportedly a finalist when Buono ran the search in Edmonton. Other names rumoured to be in the mix include former CFL up-and-comers turned NFL scouts Vince Magri and Chris Rossetti.
