John Gregory (American football coach)

John Gregory
Date of birth: November 22, 1938 (1938-11-22) (age 73)
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.

Contents

Coaching career

Early years

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.

Saskatchewan Roughriders

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.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats

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.

Arena Football

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]

Head coaching record

CFL

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

AFL

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

References

  1. ^ Barnstormers Rehire Former Coach John Gregory | KCRG-TV9 Cedar Rapids, Iowa | Sports
  2. ^ "Barnstormers: Head Coach John Gregory Resigns". Iowa Barnstormers. May 17, 2011. http://www.theiowabarnstormers.com/news/news/index.html?article_id=147. Retrieved June 29, 2011. 

External links

Preceded by
Mike Riley
Grey Cup winning Head Coach
77th Grey Cup, 1989
Succeeded by
Mike Riley