Longtime football player and coach John Huard has passed away at the age of 80.
The native of Waterville, Maine served as the head coach of the Toronto Argonauts in 2000, going 1-6-1 before tendering his resignation.
Huard was a fifth-round pick in the 1967 NFL Draft of the Denver Broncos and eventually made his way up to the CFL, playing three seasons at linebacker with the Montreal Alouettes (1973) and Argonauts (1973-75).
The University of Maine product started his coaching career in 1974 and won two Vanier Cups at Acadia University in 1979 and 1981. He was hired to become the first head coach of the expansion Atlantic Schooners in 1984, though the team never saw the field and he departed for the USFL.
Huard’s most successful head coaching tenure came at the Maine Maritime Academy where he went 32-30 over seven seasons, winning the ECAC Bowl in 1993. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2014.
“The Toronto Argonauts send its deepest condolences to the family and friends of John Huard,” the team wrote in a statement.
“We are saddened to hear about the passing of John Huard,” said Maine head coach Jordan Stevens. “John lived an amazing life. He raised an amazing family and gave his all to the game of football. We are grateful for the positive impact John made to the University of Maine and our football program. We will forever honor the legacy of John Huard.”
