Courtesy CFL.ca:

The B.C. Lions announced on Monday that general manager and head coach Wally Buono has extended his contract with the organization.

Buono had been entering the final year of his contract which brought the now second all-time winningest coach in CFL history out west in 2003.

“Wally’s accomplishments over the past 30 years as a player, coach and GM speak for themselves,” said Lions president and CEO Bob Ackles. “His coaching style, his dedication to excellence and his ability to get the very best from everyone in the organization make him highly respected across the CFL and I am excited about what the future holds with Wally leading the way.”

Buono enters his sixth season with the Leos after leading the club to five consecutive playoff appearances, including four first-place regular season finishes and a Grey Cup championship in 2006.

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Courtesy Vancouver Province:

Wally Buono didn’t win the CFL Coach of the Year award again this year, which will come as no surprise to anyone close to the voting. But it should.

Since 1990, Buono has coached his teams to a first-place finish 12 times; eight when he was in Calgary coaching the Stampeders and the last four straight with the B.C. Lions.

Somehow, instead of owning the Annis Stukus trophy, awarded to the best coach in the league, Buono has won it only three times.

This for an award that is supposed to be based on regular-season performance. You can question — even knock — some of his game-day decisions, you can question his Grey Cup record (four wins in eight attempts), but he is several football field lengths ahead of his rivals in constructing, maintaining and finishing the regular season.

Simply take last season as an example. He lost starting quarterback Dave Dickenson and his No. 2 Buck Pierce to injuries, and his best receiver Geroy Simon was hobbled for the first two-thirds of the campaign. With Jarious Jackson at quarterback, all Buono was able to do was coax his team to a 14-win season, a franchise best.

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Courtesy CFL.ca:

The Canadian Football League (CFL) announced today the finalists for the 2007 Coach of the Year as selected by the Football Reporters of Canada (FRC). This year’s finalists are Kent Austin (Saskatchewan Roughriders), Wally Buono (B.C. Lions) and Michael Clemons (Toronto Argonauts).

The CFL Coach of the Year award recognizes the commitment and efforts of head coaches across the league, with special honours going to the coach who most demonstrates exceptional leadership, dedication and excellence during the regular season. The winner is awarded the Annis Stukus Trophy in honour of the Edmonton Eskimos and BC Lions’ head coach and great CFL ambassador, Annis Stukus. This year’s recipient will be announced at the 2008 CFL Coach of the Year Luncheon in Calgary, Alberta at the Hyatt Regency during the CFL Congress.

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