| Date of birth: | November 22, 1938 |
| Career information | |
|---|---|
| Organizations | |
| As administrator: | |
| 1969–1971 1995–2003 |
Iowa Central C.C. (Athletic director) Iowa Barnstormers (General manager) |
| As coach: | |
| 1969–1971 1972–1981 1982 1983–1988 1989–1991 1991–1994 1995–2003 2004 2005–2007 2008–2011 |
Iowa Central C.C. (Asst. Head Coach) South Dakota State Northern Iowa (Offensive coordinator) Winnipeg Blue Bombers (Offensive line) Saskatchewan Roughriders Hamilton Tiger-Cats Iowa Barnstormers/New York Dragons Carolina Cobras Arkansas Twisters Iowa Barnstormers |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
| Awards: | 1995 AFL Coach of the Year 1996 AFL Coach of the Year |
John Gregory (born November 22, 1938) is an American football head coach who most recently coached the Iowa Barnstormers, an Arena football team currently playing in the AFL.
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Gregory's first coaching job was at Iowa Central Community College, where he was assistant head coach and athletic director of the new football program. In Gregory's three years there, the program had a 24–3–1 record and won the Wool Bowl in 1969. John Matuszak, who was recruited by Gregory, went on to become the number one pick in the 1973 NFL Draft.
His first college head coaching job was at South Dakota State, where he had 55–50–3 record from 1972–1981. Gregory is third in school history in coaching victories and his 1979 team had a single season best record of 9–2. SDSU didn’t have a winning record the previous 11 seasons before Gregory’s arrival.
After serving as Northern Iowa offensive coordinator in 1982, Gregory was the offensive line coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for the six seasons. In 1984 Winnipeg won the Grey Cup in part due to Gregory’s offensive line that helped set a CFL single season rushing record.
After the 1987 season he was hired to coach Saskatchewan Roughriders, a team that had no playoff appearances in the past 11 years. In his first season as Saskatchewan's head coach, he led the Riders to an 11–7 record and a playoff berth. He won the Annis Stukus Trophy as the league's coach of the year. The following year the Roughriders finished 9–9 and won the 77th Grey Cup, their first since 1966. After a 1–6 start in 1991, he was fired and replaced by Don Matthews. He had a 35–43–1 overall record in Saskatchewan.
That same season, he was hired to replaced David Beckman as head coach of the 0–8 Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He made the postseason two of the four years he was with the team and finished with a 24–40 record.
In 1995, Jim Foster hired Gregory to build an Arena Football League expansion team in Des Moines, Iowa. Gregory signed Kurt Warner, then a little known quarterback working at a local grocery store to a tryout. Gregory coached the Iowa Barnstormers to five division titles in six seasons and led the team to two ArenaBowls. Quarterbacks Kurt Warner and Aaron Garcia are considered two of the greatest AFL players ever. Gregory was named AFL Coach of the Year in 1995 and 1996. The Barnstormers relocated to New York in 2000 and Gregory left the team in 2003. Gregory coached the Carolina Cobras to a 6–10 record in 2004 before the team folded.
In 2005, Gregory came out of retirement to coach the Arkansas Twisters. He went 5–7 in his first season and 10–6 in the 2006 season, losing the National Conference Championship to the Spokane Shock. In 2007 the Twisters improved to a 12–4 record, a franchise best, but lost to the Bossier–Shreveport Battle Wings in the first round of the playoffs.
In 2007, it was announced that Gregory would return to Iowa to coach the new expansion Iowa Barnstormers.[1]
On May 17, 2011, Gregory resigned from his position with the Barnstormers.[2]
| Team | Year | Regular Season | Post Season | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| SAS | 1989 | 9 | 9 | 0 | .500 | 3rd in West Division | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | Won Grey Cup |
| SAS | 1990 | 9 | 9 | 0 | .500 | 3rd in West Division | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost West Semi-Final |
| SAS | 1991 | 1 | 6 | 0 | .143 | 4th in West Division | – | – | – | Fired |
| HAM | 1991 | 3 | 7 | 0 | .300 | 4th in East Division | – | – | – | – |
| HAM | 1992 | 11 | 7 | 0 | .611 | 2nd in East Division | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost East Final |
| HAM | 1993 | 6 | 12 | 0 | .333 | 2nd in East Division | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost East Final |
| HAM | 1994 | 1 | 5 | 0 | .167 | 5th in East Division | – | – | – | Fired |
| Total | 45 | 63 | 0 | .417 | 0 Division Championships |
5 | 3 | .625 | 1 Grey Cups | |
| Team | Year | Regular Season | Post Season | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| Iowa | 1995 | 7 | 5 | 0 | .583 | 2nd in AC Central | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost in AC Semifinals |
| Iowa | 1996 | 12 | 2 | 0 | .857 | 1st in AC Central | 2 | 1 | .667 | Lost in ArenaBowl X |
| Iowa | 1997 | 11 | 3 | 0 | .786 | 1st in AC Central | 2 | 1 | .667 | Lost in ArenaBowl XI |
| Iowa | 1998 | 5 | 9 | 0 | .357 | 3rd in AC Central | – | – | – | – |
| Iowa | 1999 | 11 | 3 | 0 | .786 | 1st in AC Central | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost in AC Final |
| Iowa | 2000 | 9 | 5 | 0 | .643 | 1st in AC Central | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost in AC Semifinal |
| New York | 2001 | 8 | 6 | 0 | .571 | 1st in NC Eastern | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost in Wild Card |
| New York | 2002 | 3 | 11 | 0 | .214 | 4th in NC Eastern | – | – | – | – |
| New York | 2003 | 0 | 4 | 0 | .000 | 4th in NC Eastern | – | – | – | – |
| Carolina | 2004 | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2nd in NC Eastern | – | – | – | – |
| Arkansas | 2005 | 5 | 7 | 0 | .417 | 3rd in AC South | – | – | – | – |
| Arkansas | 2006 | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 1st in NC Midwest | 2 | 1 | .667 | Lost in NC Final |
| Arkansas | 2007 | 12 | 4 | 0 | .688 | 1st in NC Central | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost in First round |
| Iowa | 2008 | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 5th in AC Midwest | – | – | – | – |
| Iowa | 2009 | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 1st AC in Midwest | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost in First round |
| Iowa | 2010 | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4th NC in Midwest | – | – | – | – |
| Iowa | 2011 | 2 | 7 | 0 | .222 | 4thth NC in Central | – | – | – | – |
| Total* | 117 | 90 | 0 | .565 | 8 | 9 | .471 | |||
| Preceded by Mike Riley |
Grey Cup winning Head Coach 77th Grey Cup, 1989 |
Succeeded by Mike Riley |
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